۱۰ فروردین ۱۴۰۳ |۱۹ رمضان ۱۴۴۵ | Mar 29, 2024
​Pre-Ramadan bazaar draws crowds to Tempe mosque

At the pre-Ramadan bazaar, patrons could buy scarves, jewelry, gift baskets and food, among other things.

Hawzah News Agency (Arizona, US) - As Muslims ramp up for the month of Ramadan, dozens of vendors selling ethnic goods gathered at the Islamic Community Center of Tempe on Saturday.

At the pre-Ramadan bazaar, patrons could buy scarves, jewelry, gift baskets and food, among other things. On Sunday, Muslims worldwide will begin to fast from predawn to sunset as part of the Five Pillars of Islam.

"This is the month that we do a lot of gift giving, a lot of charity, so people will be coming here to purchase gifts also for the holidays," said Amal Fayad, a volunteer at the event.

Chandler resident Erin Loukili said the event was her second bazaar of the day.

"I think it's important because it supports the local businesses, and it gives us awareness of local people that are selling things that we might need that are a lot of times available online that are shipped from overseas," she said.

Islam is the second most popular religion in the world, behind Christianity. Only 1% of Arizonans are Muslim, according to the Pew Research Center.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during this time.

The Five Pillars of Islam are central to the Muslim faith and are considered mandatory by believers. They are: confession of faith; prayer; giving; fasting; and making a pilgrimage to Mecca or the hajj.

Ahwatukee Foothills resident Hawa Osman worked at the event, helping her 83-year-old grandmother, Khadija Shire, sell women's Islamic clothing.

Osman says she and her family are Somalian and have gone to the Tempe mosque since they moved to Arizona in 1998. She says the annual bazaar puts her in the mood for Ramadan.

"It's a month of serenity, it's a month of peace, it's a month to just really be thankful for all the things that God has given you," she said.

  

 

 

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