For the past two Fridays, since the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan began some 12 days ago, thousands of Muslims have filled Jamia Masjid, Kenya\u2019s largest mosque, located in Nairobi\u2019s central business district.
\nAll major roads leading to the mosque have been closed in an effort to accommodate the swelling number of worshipers.
\nJamia Mosque is an important center for Muslims in Nairobi, providing them with a place where they can carry out their five daily prayers. It is also a vital location for Muslims from all over East Africa, as it frequently hosts major Islamic events.
\nIn one section of the mosque, a handful of Muslim businessmen can be seen unloading food and clothing, which they hope to distribute to their less fortunate counterparts during the holy month.
\n\u201cI must help my Muslim brothers and sisters, or that child who doesn\u2019t have any means of getting food during Ramadan,\u201d Swaleh Mwangeka told Anadolu Agency, throwing a bundle of grain over his shoulder.
\nMwangeka was unloading his pick-up truck, which was loaded with cooking oil, flour and other foodstuffs intended for distribution to the poor.
\n\u201cI must show generosity as Allah has shown to me. This is how I show gratitude for the blessings I have received,\u201d the 41-year-old entrepreneur told Anadolu Agency.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t want to imagine less fortunate Muslims going without Iftar or Suhoor [Ramadan breakfast and dawn meals] this month, when Muslims abstain from food and drink during daylight hours,\u201d Mwangeka said.
\n\u201cI save up every year just for this,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019re welcoming the holy month by feeding and clothing the less fortunate during this time of intense prayer and fasting.\u201d
\nWhile thousands of Kenyan Muslims are fasting from dawn until dusk, this hasn\u2019t stopped food prices from skyrocketing due to the country\u2019s poor economy.
\nSheikh Hamisi Mungai, chairman of Kenya\u2019s Council of Imams and Muslim Preachers, lauded the government for lifting curfews in predominantly-Muslim areas.
\n\u201cThe Muslim community is grateful that the government has decided to remove the curfews, as they would have disrupted our Ramadan schedule,\u201d Mungai, speaking at the Jamia Mosque, said.
\nSheikh Mohdar Khitamy, chairman of Kenya\u2019s Supreme Council of Muslims in Mombasa, for his part, told Anadolu Agency that he had come all the way from the Kenyan coast to preach at Nairobi\u2019s largest mosque.
\n\u201cWe will pray, fast and recite the Holy Quran throughout the month, as we seek forgiveness and guidance from Allah,\u201d Khitamy said.
\nHe, too, expressed thanks to the government for lifting curfews in Muslim areas \u201cto allow us to conduct our religious activities.\u201d
\nHe went on to urge police to provide security for Muslims during Ramadan, asking them \u201cnot to arrest those participating in nighttime prayers.\u201d
\nHalima Mohamed, a mother of two, told Anadolu Agency that she could now focus on her prayers without having to worry about finding food and shelter.
\n\u201cI have no job or means of getting food,\u201d she said. \u201cIt took me two hours to walk from the Kibera slums to the mosque today, but \u2013 thanks to my Muslim brothers and sisters \u2013 I now have something to eat.\u201d
\nMuslims account for roughly 11 percent of Kenya\u2019s total population of 4.3 million. Most of them live along the Kenyan coast and in the country\u2019s northeastern region.<\/p>\n
Source: World Bulletin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the past two Fridays, since the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan began some 12 days ago, thousands of Muslims have filled Jamia Masjid, Kenya\u2019s largest mosque, located in Nairobi\u2019s central business district.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c102-muslim-minorities"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n