4 Islamic Cities with Historic Ramadan Farewell Rituals
In the
final nights of Ramadan, the believer experiences a profound mix of emotions.
There is joy in anticipating the upcoming celebration after a month of fasting,
night prayers, and charity. Yet, a simultaneous sorrow weighs on the heart as
they bid farewell to these blessed nights and a dear guest that has passed all
too swiftly. It is a longing for the blessings of mosques echoing with
voluntary night prayers, late-night vigils, and melodious recitations; for the
grace of the pre-dawn meal, the dawn prayer, and the early mornings; and for
those moments when hearts are intimately bound to God, immersed in supplication
and the hope for His pardon.
Throughout
history, Muslims have never viewed the end of Ramadan as merely the passing of
another month. Rather, they saw it as a spiritual test, anticipating its
outcomes: What impact did it leave on the spirit? How did it transform the
inner self? And how did it shape morals and conduct?
From the
east of the Islamic world to its west, historical memory has preserved profound
images of bidding farewell to the holy month. These moments were documented by
scholars, historians, and men of letters across Islamic cities—within mosques
and marketplaces preparing for the concluding festival, and among those whose
hearts feared the month had slipped away before they could achieve their
ultimate spiritual goals. In the following lines, we will explore how this
moment of parting evolved into a distinct spiritual and cultural tradition
within Islamic civilization.
First – Baghdad: Where the Last Nights Merged Worship and Joy
Baghdad—with
its nights, civilization, monuments, people, and cultural grandeur during the
Abbasid era—stood out as the most celebratory of all Islamic cities during
Ramadan. As the capital of the Islamic Caliphate at the time, its observance
was so profound that historians described the final nights of Ramadan in
Baghdad as overflowing with devotion and illumination.
During
the final ten days of the month, mosques brimmed with worshippers as people
spent their nights engaged in remembrance and the recitation of the Holy Book.
Spiritual retreats were widely observed across most of the city's mosques. The
holy month held a uniquely revered status within the Abbasid state, which
honored it by implementing measures aimed at bringing joy to the common people.
Dr.
Suleiman Abbas Al-Bayadi (1) states: The Abbasid state honored the holy month
by increasing salaries and disbursing additional stipends to professionals,
artisans, scholars, orphans, and others. They also hosted public banquets to
break the fast for the general populace. Caliph Harun al-Rashid would disguise
himself during this month to monitor the markets and inspect the conditions of
the people. Similarly, Caliph al-Mustansir adopted the same approach to ensure
the public's well-being, particularly during this sacred time.
At the
end of the fasting month, judges and jurists would venture out to seek the new
crescent moon of the following lunar month (Shawwal) Once the sighting was
confirmed, the judge would officially announce it across the mosques. The
voices of the people would then rise with declarations of God's greatness,
signaling the month's conclusion and welcoming the festival.
Second – Damascus: The City of the Quran in the Nights of
Parting
In
Damascus, the nights of the fasting month were no less magnificent than those
in Baghdad. The major mosques, prominently the Umayyad Mosque, transformed into
the epicenter of the city's spiritual life during the final ten days. The
historian Ibn Battuta, who visited the city in the year 726 of the Islamic
calendar, described the residents' habits during this time, noting that
absolutely no one broke their fast alone. He observed that princes, notables,
merchants, and commoners—including the poor and those arriving from the
desert—all participated in communal meals. The elites hosted grand banquets to
break the fast in their palaces, while merchants served the daily meals in
their own homes.
As for
the less fortunate and desert travelers, they broke their fast in public
squares and mosques, pooling whatever food they had into communal meals shared
by the neighborhood (2). Ibn Battuta also recounted the educational circles he
attended during his visit. He noted that lessons in jurisprudence and prophetic
traditions were held regularly at the Umayyad Mosque, drawing large crowds of
jurists and students. Over fourteen sessions—from the middle of the month until
the twenty-eighth—he listened to the entire Sahih al-Bukhari. He described the
night marking the completion of the Holy Quran's recitation as intensely
crowded with scholars, merchants, and commoners. The prayer leader would extend
his supplications, bringing the congregation to tears, before they departed
with hearts full of reverence and sorrow for the month's end (3). This night
stood as a collective spiritual milestone, highlighting the deep bond between
the community and the Quran across most historical Islamic cities.
Third – Andalusia: Bidding farewell in Andalusia was a
celebration of scholarship and spirituality
In
Andalusia, Ramadan took on a distinctive cultural and spiritual character.
Historical sources indicate that Andalusian cities like Cordoba, Seville, and
Granada experienced a surge of activity in educational and reading circles.
Mosques overflowed with students and scholars gathering to recite the Quran and
Hadith. During the final nights of the month, the complete recitation of the
Holy Book was achieved across multiple circles within the very same mosque,
while poets dedicated their verses to celebrate both the arrival and the
departure of the holy month.
Fourth – Cairo: Nights of Recitation Completion and Prayer in
Major Mosques
During
the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, Cairo was a city pulsating with Ramadan life.
Today, the streets of Old Cairo still bear witness to the bustling nights of
its Fatimid and Mamluk history. Notable among them is Al-Muizz Street, which
stands as an open-air museum of that period, alongside the districts of
Al-Hussein, Khan el-Khalili, and Sayyida Zeinab, all of which retain their
historic character and the essence of a deep-rooted past. The historian
Al-Maqrizi detailed the traditions of the concluding festival in his prominent
book, Al-Mawaiz wa al-'I'tibar bi Dhikr al-Khitat wa al-'Athar:
During
the final nights, the completion of the Quran's recitation was a momentous
event. People would gather on the night the reciter finished the Holy Book,
followed by a lengthy supplication where everyone joined in weeping and echoing
affirmations. Al-Maqrizi continues, describing one of these final nights: 'On
the last day of it—meaning the month of Ramadan in the year 380—Yanis
al-Saqlabi, the Chief of the Lower Police, brought forth the banquet, along
with sugar palaces and sculptures, and trays featuring confectionery statues.
Similarly, Ali ibn Saad, the market inspector, presented palaces and sugar
sculptures (4)
In
conclusion, as we reflect on these historical scenes from Baghdad, through
Damascus, Andalusia, and Cairo—and by extension, envision the atmosphere across
other historical Islamic cities—we realize that the holy month was a
comprehensive civilizational phenomenon. It set the very rhythm of life within
the Islamic society. The moments of bidding it farewell were pivotal in shaping
an individual's spiritual relationship with their inner self, prompting
profound questions:
- Have
I truly changed during this month?
- Will
its impact endure in my life after its departure?
If its
profound effect remains rooted in the heart and conduct, then the month has not
truly ended. Instead, it has transcended, being merely a month on the calendar
to become a lasting value in human life
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References:
1. Member of the Union of Arab Historians, in
an interview with the Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper on March 2, 2025.
2. Jamal Bin Huwaireb Studies Center, titled
"Ramadan in the Accounts of Travelers."
3.
"Ramadan in the Journey of Ibn Battuta: Traditions, Acts of Worship, and
Tales" by Samah Atef Abdel Halim.
4. The Festival of Breaking the Fast
in Egypt During the Fatimid Era" by Abdul Rahman Habib.
