Taraweeh prayers performed countrywide amid an air of spirituality
Pakistan
Fasting in Ramazan, the ninth and the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam
LAHORE (Dunya News) - Hundreds of thousands of worshipers performed Isha and Taraweeh prayers on the first night of Ramazan at mosques across the country on Wednesday.
The scene reflected the holy month’s spirituality and its place in Muslims’ hearts. An integrated set of services and organisational measures taken by the mosques authorities helped provide a safe and smooth worship environment for the faithful.
Fasting in Ramazan, the ninth and the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam and this is the time of the year when religious fervour is rekindled throughout the Muslim world.
One of the significant features of Ramadan each year is the Taraweeh prayer, a non-obligatory night prayer during the holy month. Thousands across the country offered the Taraweeh prayers in well-lit mosques on Wednesday night.
“Today is the first day of Taraweeh,” Ali, a resident of Lahore, told Dunya News on Wednesday night. “We have to keep up this prayer the whole month with enthusiasm and should also invite others to this prayer every day.”
The Ramazan moon for 1447 Hijri has been sighted in various cities across Pakistan. Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, announced the sighting of the moon, confirming that the first fast will be observed today, while the first Taraweeh prayers will be offered tonight.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting to sight the Ramazan moon was held in Peshawar, chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.
The central meeting took place at the Auqaf Hall on Charsadda Road, while zonal committee meetings were held in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Azad said weather conditions varied across the country, with clear skies in some areas and cloudy conditions in others.
He stated that moon-sighting testimonies were received from multiple locations, including Quetta, Islamabad, Waziristan, Dir, Karachi, Buner, Mardan and Tando Allahyar.
