عيد مبارك‎‎ (Eid mubarak!)

By most accounts, today is the last day of Ramadan in the United States and tomorrow, on July 6, Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the feast of fastbreaking. ("By most accounts" because since the Muslim year is comprised of 12 lunar months, and Ramadan - the ninth month - begins with the sighting of the new moon on the last night of the eighth month, and such sightings may vary - so it's complicated).

As noted in our June 7 blog post, Ramadan is recognized as the month when the sacred revelations that make up the Quran were received by the prophet Muhammad. By fasting, praying, and reciting from the Quran, Muslims work to develop "a sense of solidarity with those who suffer from want all year long." (The Handy Islam Answer Book, p. 197).

Also as noted in our earlier post, we have many resources at Central Library about Islam, Muhammad, the Quran, starting at Dewey Decimal number 297 - and don't forget to check the reference shelves, where we have a beautifully illustrated, oversized American Qur'an - you can't take it home with you, but you can enjoy leafing through it and learning while here at Central.


Happy Eid - enjoy the feast!