Iftar organized by The Islamic Foundation in Slovakia

BRATISLAVA, 03.10.2007

IslamWeb.sk

On an evening of the last ten days of the Holy month of Ramadan (October 2, 2007), which includes also the most honored night of Laylat al-Qadr, The Islamic Foundation in Slovakia organized a special Muslim social evening i.e. an  evening iftar (Ramadan dinner), immediately after breaking fast .

This ceremonial evening was organized on October 2, 2007 (20. Ramadan 1428H) at the Aston Business hotel in Bratislava. Among the honorable guests that accepted the invitations, were the representatives from embassies of Muslim countries resided in Slovakia, out of whom representatives from the Republic of Indonesia represented the biggest group. Another group of guests that couldn’t miss this activity were of course the representatives of multiethnic Slovak Muslim community of Arabic, Albanian, Turkish, and Bosnian as well as Slovak nationality. We were honored by the presence of non-Muslim friends who in a way or another have expressed a positive attitude to the Slovak Muslim community and the Islamic Foundation in Slovakia.

Adhan,(the Muslim call to prayer) that filled the space of the Aston Business hotel at 18:40 registered on one hand the starting of that evening while on the other hand called the end of the fasting for that day. Following the  tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (The Sunnah), Muslims at attending the evening broke fast by drinking  a cup of milk and eating three dates, exactly as The Prophet of Islam did 1 400 ago. Immediately after breaking fast, worshipers prayed the maghreb, that is practiced after the sun set, and that is an organically part of the evening iftar (fast breaking). After the prayer and thanking God for leading and strengthening the body and the soul during the fast in the Holy month of Ramadan, Muslim worshipers and their non-Muslim friends sat together around the festive table.

At this evening the menu included vegetable soup, specially prepared salmon with specifically cooked rice and of course the traditional desert: the sweet baklava. At the table there were plenty of fruits, water, because during the day believers not only can not eat but also should not drink. After the dinner, while sipping coffee guests were involved in interesting talks that concerned mainly reciprocal acknowledgement of Muslims and non-Muslims living in Slovakia. Friendly debate continued for an hour. Afterwards the invited guests started laving the hotel, while Muslim worshipers went to the Bratislava mosque where they attended the traditional evening Ramadan prayers known as taraweeh. 

Concluding, we hope that in the spirit of the words expressed by the main organizer and the representative of the Islamic Foundation in Slovakia Mr. Mohamad Safwan Hasna, it would be very useful for the Islamic community in Slovakia, as well as for the Slovak society as a whole if such meetings and events become regular.