Id-ul-Fitr to be celebrated today

Muslims in the State will celebrate Id-ul-Fitr on Wednesday, marking the culmination of the month-long Ramzan fasting.

Exchanging pleasantries and chanting Takbir in praise of God, they will flow to mosques and Id-gahs for the special prayers in the morning.

Id prayers will take place between 7 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. at most places. If it rains in the morning, Id-gahs in open grounds will be cancelled and prayers will be confined to mosques.

The celebrations will mark visiting friends and relatives, exchanging Id Mubarak greetings. Families and children will gather on beaches and local tourist destinations. Places like the Kozhikode and Padinjarekkkara beaches and Kottakkunnu hilltop in Malappuram draws thousands of Id celebrants every year.

Markets and shops in most towns in the State witnessed a heavy rush on Tuesday night as last-minute shoppers made a beeline for textiles, footwear, grocery and meat.

People were seen reaching out to the poor on Tuesday night with their Zakat-ul-Fitr, an obligatory charity at the conclusion of the Ramzan fasting. Bagfuls of rice were distributed amongst the poor as refrains of Takbir rose from mosque minarets.

Salafi and Jamaat-e-Islami groups distributed their Zakat-ul-Fitr collectively when the majority Sunnis chose to do it individually.

Unlike the normal Zakat (charity), Zakat-ul-Fitr is a form of quick relief to fulfil the needs of the poorest on the Id day.

Most organizations, groups and leaders called upon the people not to lose self-control and forbearance achieved through fasting in Ramzan.