Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammed. Muslims fast during the holiday, from sunrise to sunset, as an act of faith and worship towards Allah. Because Kristen and I live in a city with a large Muslim population, and have made a few really close friends, we have been blessed to be able to experience much of what Ramadan is about. We were invited by one of our friends to break fast with his family one evening, and were able to attend their prayer at the mosque.

We had great conversations and their hospitality was unmatched.

Last Friday was the Eid al-Fitr (denotes the last day of Ramadan) and, in our city, this is a big deal. More than 250,000 men (women do not participate) showed up for morning prayer and Kristen and I were invited to come watch. We arrived 2 hours early, and many were already starting to set up their prayer rugs. One of the main avenues in our city was blocked off for maybe a mile, so that everyone had space to worship.

As much as we tried to be respectful and stay out of view, it was nearly impossible…

Here’s a short video of that morning’s prayer:

We’re so thankful we got to be a part of this experience.