Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri joins member of Pakistani community for Iftar

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri this week joined the member of the Pakistani community for an Iftar-dinner.

“Iftar is one of the many joys of Ramadan. Sharing this joy with the wonderful Pakistani Community and members of the ACT Legislative Assembly was a true privilege,” he tweeted after the event.

Australia is home to people of many different cultural backgrounds and religious practices, including over half a million Muslims. The Islamic holy month of Ramzan is fast approaching, so there’s no better time to familiarise yourself with what the month means for Muslims.

The fasting month is the holiest month on the Islamic calendar and is observed by almost two billion Muslims worldwide. Fasting during Ramzan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the five essential religious practices each Muslim must complete. The other pillars are faith in God, daily prayers, charitable donation and pilgrimage to Mecca.

The act of fasting gives Muslims the chance to renew their spiritual relationship with the God, show compassion to the poor and needy, and practise qualities of patience, discipline and self-restraint. The month is considered a time of new beginnings and devotion to social causes.

Ramzan ends with the festive holiday of Eid al-Fitr (known in some countries as Hari Raya), where Muslims gather together to feast, visit family and celebrate the end of the fast. Muslims join a special prayer that is unique to Eid al-Fitr, distribute money to young children in coloured envelopes, and start the new month with a renewed commitment to mindfulness.