The celebration is a joyous and happy event, in which Muslims dress in their finest clothes, give gifts to children and share a special meal with their friends and family.

At Eid it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity, too, and a collection was held outside the Ghousia Mosque, in Gladstone Street, as the Muslim men entered for prayers.

Spokesman for the mosque Mohammed Sarfraz said: "Eid is a very special occasion, everyone makes a great effort for the festivities.

"It is also a time to remember those less fortunate than ourselves, and to thank God for giving us the opportunity to observe the month of Ramadan."

Faizan Attari (20) is a regular wor- shipper at the mosque. He said: "The fasting is not hard to do once you get into it."

"It is actually very good for you. We sleep to rest our bodies and fast to rest our stomachs."



But Fayyaz Bhatty admitted he found Ramadan hard, saying: "It is tough, particularly at the weekends, when you seem to have more time to think about food."

"Eid is a really special time for us though, in many ways it is like Christmas, a time to come together with family and friends, to give and receive gifts and also enjoy a fabulous meal."

Eight-year-old Atta Ali has been coming to the Ghousia Mosque since he was four, and this year he did a half fast for Ramadan.

"I am very happy today," he said. "I got lots of nice presents, including some clothes, and am really looking forward to having a big meal."


Factfile: Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast during the hours of day- light.

Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer and doing good deeds. The fasting is intended to help teach self-discipline, self- restraint and generosity. It is common to have one meal just before sunrise and another directly after sunset.

More elsewhere online:
Eid ul-Fitr - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ramadan - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Related:
Muhammad Maher has converted to Islam speaks to the ET: 'I'm part of biggest family in the world,' says convert, 2 October 2008.


Mohammed Sabir (47) a former Peterborough councillor who attended the Eid prayers, said he always found the celebrations an emotional experience.

"I have lived in Peterborough for 36 years and have been a regular wor- shipper at this site since it was just a converted house," he explained.

"The fact we now have our own mosque here in the city is just amazing, and it is thanks to the wonderful community we live in."

Worshipper Abdul Malik wished to apologise to all the people living around the mosques for any disturbance they had experienced during Ramadan. He said: "There has been plenty of people coming and going from the mosques during the last month and we appreciate the community's understanding and co-operation during this time."