MORE than 1,500 members of the Muslim community in Cebu celebrated Eid’l Fitr through a religious ceremony held at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City, Friday.

Wearing their best robes and dresses, Muslim men and women living in Cebu City gathered at the center of the historic Plaza to celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan, the Islamic month of Sacrifice.

The celebration started through a traditional Salat al-Eid or special prayers recited during the Eid holidays, at around 6:30 a.m.

In his message after the traditional Salat al-Eid, Ustadz Salih Sarigan, the imam of the community, called upon Muslims to keep the lessons of the Ramadan close to heart.

He reminded the Muslim faithful that Ramadan is not just about fasting and abstinence of worldly pleasures, but also about sacrifice, of practicing humility and of sharing our gifts to those who have none.

“The practice of Ramadan starts by fasting for an entire month. The lesson is how to endure, that you remain calm in the face of suffering. If you don’t endure, then what you have done during the Holy month means nothing,” Sarigan said, in Tagalog.

Sarigan added that the Ramadan is also about coming together as one community.

After the Salat al-Eid, the Muslim community then partook of meals provided by the Cebu City government and the Office of Muslim Affairs. (JKV/SunStar Cebu)