By Kimberly Ramkhalawan
April 25, 2023
This weekend the Muslim community in the Caribbean observed Eid-ul-Fitr, following the month of fasting, called Ramadan.
This is known as the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection, and community and marks the commemoration of Muhammad’s first revelation, the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next.
Traditionally, fasting is from dawn to sunset is fard (obligatory) for all adult Muslims who are not acutely or chronically ill. The predawn meal is referred to as suhur, and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar.
And while the largest Muslim populations are in English-speaking countries such as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, there are also are small communities made up of Muslims of African descent who would have brought their beliefs also. Suriname also has a great number of Muslims who were descendants of immigrants from India and Indonesia who came as indentured servants. The same can be said to muslims found in Jamaica and Barbados. As for the French-speaking countries, such as Guadeloupe, Guyana Françoise, Haiti, and Martinique, the Muslim community is mainly composed of African Muslim immigrants from West Africa. Martinique is also home to a small immigrant Palestinian Muslim community.
In all, according to the Caribbean Muslim Network, the total Muslim population by country varies from four to 15 percent.
Awaiting the crescent moon among the Caribbean islands posed some challenges this year, as many islands experienced cloudy conditions, leaving some sects to celebrate on differing dates. In Trinidad and Tobago, the official government holiday was set on Saturday April 22nd by the President, who was given advice in accordance from the clerics within the faith. The Anjuman Sunnat-ul-Jamaat Association, ASJA and the Darul Uloom TT declared to their followers that it was not seen on Thursday, resulting in another day of fasting among those of the faith.However, while the date was also tentative as to sighting of the moon, the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana said the moon was spotted, giving way to observances to be held on the Friday. To some following the Darul-Uloom sect, it was recorded as not having been seen. In the past, many of the faith in Trinidad and Tobago, often depended on their Caribbean neighbours for its sighting to keep in unison. 2023 saw a change, where it was not coordinated fully. Jamaica also observed on Friday, whilst Barbados did not.
Many masjids in Trinidad held services on Friday morning, where khutba services were held and alms were shared before the prayers. These alms are known at Zakat and is seen as necessary in order to break the fast and observe Eid-ul-Fitr.
Nevertheless, many took it light hearted in the sense of getting to celebrate and observe for two days with family and friends.
It was also the first year of not worrying too much about the pandemic, with congregational prayers taking place similar to pre-pandemic levels.
For Trinidadians, the day is marked with sharing a sweet milky dessert known as sawine, made from vermicelli noodles. It is also accompanied by a feast of traditional Indo-Trinidadian foods made with curry.
According to the Islamic Calendar, 2023 marks 1444 year. The date in the Gregorian calendar falls approximately 11 days earlier each successive year. This mean if the Eid falls in the first ten days of a Gregorian calendar year, there will be a second Eid in the last ten days of the same Gregorian calendar year, as happened in 2000 CE. The Gregorian date may vary between countries depending on the local visibility of the new moon.