ABU DHABI // Families travelled from all over the country to perform Eid Al Fitr prayers together at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on Sunday.
“It’s a family tradition that we perform Eid Al Fitr prayers in the Grand Mosque, it took us nearly two hours to arrive” an engineer from Sharjah said.
“My family and I are very happy to be here today, the Mosque has a sentimental value to us”, the 40-year-old said.
It took Mamoon Khan’s just over an hour to drive to the mosque from their home in Dubai “We arrived early this morning at 11 am to ensure that we will not miss Eid prayers, it’s important for my children to attend.”
Hundreds of worshippers are expected at the UAE’s largest mosque on Sunday.
Eid Al Fitr – which translates in Arabic to the “festival of breaking fast” - marks the end Ramadan.
For many Muslims the day begins with Eid prayers, which are performed after regular morning prayers, followed by visits to family members and friends to exchange greetings.
For Abu Dhabi resident Ridha Al Hassani Eid tends to involve spending the day with family and close friends but things have changed this year.
“We used to have big family gatherings at our place but a lot of our relatives have now left the UAE so it’s not like before”, the 31-year-old said.
Instead he will now spend the first day of Eid contacting his relatives abroad and have lunch with the family he has left in the UAE.
Another resident said he would be driving to Dubai after prayers so as not to spend Eid alone.
“I live alone in Abu Dhabi, my wife and daughter live abroad so I find it important to be around loved ones during this special time,” said Samir Hassan.
In Ajman, hundreds of worshippers prayed in rows that stretched outside Aisha Bint Hamad Al Suwaidi Mosque and into the streets.
Celebrating the end of a month-long fast, men of all walks of life stood side-by-side declaring their faith.
Some brought their children who were later seen holding bags of sweets given to them by fellow worshippers.
Once prayers were finished the Imam congratulated everyone on the first day of Eid and men embraced each other exchanging greetings.
“It’s a tradition to embrace one another and spread joy of tolerance and acceptance,” said Egyptian teacher Khaled Abdul Hamid, who was praying with his 12-year-old son Mohammed.
Mohammed accompanies his father to Eid prayers every year. “I love the atmosphere of everyone around being happy,” he said.
Jordanian accountant Ameer Younis took his 6-year-old son to Eid prayers for the first tie on Sunday.
“I want him to see what eid truly means, being passionate and kind to other people even if we don’t know them, next year I will bring his younger brother as well,” he said.
Shamsu Addin, a worker from Bangladesh, said that performing Eid prayers in a mosque makes him feel more he is at home. “I live here alone and I spend the month of Ramadan alone, but performing Eid prayers with thousands of other people makes me feel surrounded by family.”
