Ramadhan in ghana
Early Start
The days of Ramadhan begin early in the morning. Around 4.00 am drummers walk round the village from house to house playing their drums and singing to wake everyone up. Then people begin preparing the morning meal - everyone's favourite is soup with "tuo zafi", a soft meal made from maize flour. The fast begins by 4.45 am , and no one eats or drinks till sunset.
Fruit for the Fasting
Just before sunset people gather in our mosque and read the Qur'an as we wait for the muezzin to call the adhan (call to prayer) to mark the end of the fast. People bring fruit and water to the mosque to share with each other. In Ramadhan we like to invite friends and relatives to our house where we share a meal after sunset. The days continue like this until thirty days have passed.
Eid Drums
At the end of Ramadhan we celebrate Eid. The Eid prayer is held in an open field where Muslims from the nearby villages and towns gather. After the prayers, the chiefs ride majestically on horseback while the people follow them playing drums, dancing and singing Muslim songs through the streets until we reach the chief Imam's house. Everyone gathers at the Imam's house to make dua and share some food and drink together.
Before leaving for home, people visit the poor and sick and give them food and money so that everyone can enjoy the day of Eid - rich and poor.
Storytime
Later on in the day children put on their best clothes and visit people in the village. Everyone likes to give them food, money and sweets. After nightfall a few of the elders gather the children together in the middle of the village to tell stories. Sometimes they recount religious stories about the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), his companions, and famous imams and sheikhs, and other times they tell traditional stories about our tribe and where we came from, our history and the battles we fought in the past.
Ibrahim Abu Gurunshi
YOUR COMMENTS:
May Allah[swt]continue to assits you all in your endeavour[aameen].
May Allah(swt) continue to bless you in your Ramadan, As-Salaam.
May Allah give mercy to the muslims in Ghana, and everywhere else in the world.
