The Manitoba Islamic Association is celebrating Ramadan with an outreach program
Posted March 1, 2025 5:13 pm.
Last Updated March 2, 2025 5:11 pm.
The holy month of Ramadan has officially begun, and Muslim’s in Winnipeg and across the world are gathering together in their homes and mosques to welcome a month of fasting, reflection, and prayer.
“It’s a spiritual uplift for all of us and you feel different,” said Hakim Ghulam, chair of the board for the Manitoba Islamic Association. “For us it’s the greatest month, it’s the month of patience.”
Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year in the Islamic calendar and during this time Muslims participate in a minimum of five daily prayers and fast from food and water between dawn and sunset.
“You realize how you feel when you’re thirsty, when you’re hungry so you can share your resources with the people who are less fortunate,” said Ghulam.
For many Muslim’s fasting creates an understanding of what it feels like to be hungry, which inspired the Manitoba Islamic Association to give back to the community. They are among 45 other Islamic associations across Canada who have joined the ‘#FastFeed Ramadan Food Bank Campaign to Combat Hunger’ in hopes of helping those in need.
“More than two million people only during this month of March last year approached the food bank, you can imagine how much people are there every day in need,” said Ghulam.
“They need our help and if you don’t do charity than many people will not be able to survive,” said Khawja Latif, celebrating Ramadan.
Along with charity and giving back, Muslims say this period of spirituality, reflection and social responsibility allows them to reset.
“Before Ramadan and after Ramadan there should be some difference,” said Latif.
“You maintain your patience and you join these prayers and it’s a spiritual uplift for all of us,” said Ghulam.
The Manitoba Islamic Association is celebrating Ramadan with an outreach program Saturday evening welcoming the community to join their Iftar and learn more about Ramadan.
“So we may have a different colour, creed, God’s, religion, beliefs but at the end of the day we are one people and we are one community and we will work together to help each other and make Manitoba and Canada great,” said Ghulam.
To support the #FastFeed campaign you can make donations online at give30.ca.
