NCMF chief leads Eid al-Fitr prayer at Luneta
A solemn prayer to be led by National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Sabuddin Abdurahim will mark this year’s Eid al-Fitr celebration in Luneta, the first in Philippine history where a sitting secretary heads the national prayer gathering.
The exact date of Eid al-Fitr, which signals the end of the month-long Ramadan, will depend on the sighting of the crescent moon at dusk on Sunday.
“Kapag hindi po nakita sa Sunday… kumpletuhin iyong 30 days which is sa Tuesday po magaganap ang Eid al-Fitr,” Imam Benhar Astih Sawadi of the NCMF said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Friday.
Sawadi underscored both the physical and spiritual aspects of the celebration.
“Physically, nagdiriwang po kami, nagsasalo-salo, nagbibisitahan, nagbibigay ng charity at spiritually, nagpaparami po kami ng mga gawaing mabubuti,” he said.
Sawad clarified the practices and prohibitions observed during Ramadan, including abstaining from eating, drinking, and marital intimacy from sunrise to sunset.
More than just physical restraint, fasting is a time for moral discipline, he said.
“Fasting, it’s not just burning calories. Fasting is burning ego, pride and sins,” he added. Philippine News Agency
