Community comes together to celebrate Ramadan

AN annual celebration of the holy month of Ramadan has been hosted again in Mareeba, with the town’s Islamic society holding its Iftar Ramadan dinner, inviting community leaders to join them to break the fast together.

Mareeba locals gathered at the Mareeba Mosque Hall on Saturday night to celebrate the Community Iftar Dinner.

Mayor Angela Toppin, Magistrate Tom Braes, various council members, school principals, local business owners and other local religious leaders were invited to join the celebration which encourages strengthening the ties, unity, mutual respect and appreciation for our unique, multicultural Mareeba community.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, starting on 11 March this year and lasting 30 days. A foundational pillar of practising Islam is fasting during the month of Ramadan.

This devotional act is observed by over two billion Muslims worldwide. Fasting is a major act of worship, and it is a powerful means of cultivating God-consciousness in the heart and mind.

Fasting has both physical and spiritual benefits, including purifying the soul, inspiring self-reflection, and increasing empathy and good works.

It’s a fundamental practice for over two billion Muslims worldwide, involving fasting from sunrise to sunset to deepen their spiritual connection with their God.

Muslims fast for the entire month in gratitude to God for His final revelation. By restricting the body’s appetites between sunrise and sunset, believers rejuvenate their spirituality, repair their religious conscience, and cultivate their devotion to God.

While fasting is mandatory for most, exceptions include children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, the sick, and travellers.