Holy Shab-e-Barat observed

FT ONLINE

The holy Shab-e-Barat, known as the night of fortune, was observed across the country last night (Tuesday night) with due religious fervour and devotion.

The Muslim devotees spent the night at mosques and homes offering prayers, reciting from the holy Quran and seeking blessings to Allah for long life, peace, progress and happiness for themselves, their families, relatives and friends as well as the nation and the Muslim Ummah.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted all Muslims of Bangladesh and elsewhere across the world on the occasion of the holy night.

In separate messages, they prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of the nation as well as the Muslim Ummah of the whole world.

Muslims consider Shab-e-Barat as one of the three most sacred nights and believe that on this night Almighty Allah decides the fate of all human beings fixing their 'rizq' (livelihood) for the next year.

The devotees across the country visited graves and prayed for their beloved ones seeking their eternal peace. Many also visited mazars, shrines of saints all over the country.

Many families prepared traditional foods like handmade rice-bread with beef and halua (a kind of desert made usually from semolina, carrot, chickpea or papaya) both at rural and urban areas across the country on the occasion.

They distributed the food and sweets among the neighbours and the poor. Besides foods, people also gave money to the destitutes on the occasion. A good number of Muslims is fasting today (Tuesday) to mark the day.

On the great night, Islamic Foundation (IF) organised nightlong programmes at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The programmes included recitation from the holy Quran, hamd-nath, waz-mahfil, milad, Qiyam and special munajat.

Pesh imam of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Mawlana Muhiuddin Quashem, noted Islamic scholar Mawlana Habibur Rahman Juktibadi and Principal of Jamia Arabiyah, Mirpur, Mawlana Syed Wahiduzzaman delivered sermons highlighting the significance of Shab-e-Barat, the importance of ibadat and doa and the importance of Ramadan.

The importance and advantage of 'zikr' and tahajjut was also discussed at the mosque. The nightlong programmes ended following the final prayers after Fazr prayers. Senior Pesh Imam of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Hafez Mawlana Muhammad Mizanur Rahman administered the final munajat.

Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and private television channels and radio stations broadcasted special programmes on the occasion.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Monday issued a ban on carrying explosives, crackers and explosion of firecrackers in the capital marking the Shab-e-Barat.