Ramadan delight for communities
THOUSANDS of households in Chitungwiza, Epworth and Mutoko were all smiles over the weekend after receiving food hampers from Turkish Muslim humanitarian organisation, Türkiye Diyanet, as part of its Ramadan observance.
The gesture is also part of efforts to complement Government in building and uniting communities through respect and love. The hampers were distributed regardless of religious and political affiliations.
Handing over the hampers, Türkiye Embassy in Harare religious coordinator Mr Abdurrahman Taha Cinar said while the donation was relatively small, it is in line with their government’s efforts to change the lives and unite people in communities worldwide.
Mr Cinar also said the donation came as a gesture of brotherly relations Zimbabwe and Türkiye have enjoyed for decades.
“We do not live in isolation. Everyone, everywhere regardless of their political or religious background, remains part of our lives, hence the need to support others during this holy period of Ramadan,” he said.
“As your Turkish brothers and sisters and believers of the verse, ‘Surely the believers are none but brothers’, we are very happy to share with you the joy of Ramadan. We send you greetings and love with this gift, we pray for you as your brothers, and ask you to remember us in your prayers.”
Sheikh Jafar Jika said the holy month of Ramadan provides a framework for voluntary change, communal cohesion, fasting, spending time with families and dedications to prayer and worship.
“This sacred month is replete with acts of worship like fasting, charity, reciting the Quran, remembering God and doing all kinds of good deeds, being patient and staying away from evil and sins. God multiplies His reward to His worshippers in this month, and he saves them from the punishment of the hell fire” he said.
Recipients of the hampers expressed gratitude to the organisation.
“This is a welcome gesture for us. Obtaining this maize meal has been difficult during this drought year, resulting in poor harvests,” said Mr Lawrence Mutawa of Nyadire village in Mutoko.
Another beneficiary Ms Mary Kwangwari said the donation was a shot in the arm towards ending poverty in communities.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month most Muslims fast between dawn and dusk, not eating or drinking in this period unless there are special reasons to do with age, health or travel. Some will make special efforts to visit a mosque and besides the five daily prayers that are part of the core of Islam, Muslims recite a special prayer called the Tarawih (night prayer).