The Chăm Muslim communities in An Giang Province are celebrating Ramadan month from March 11 until April 9. VNA/VNS Photo Công Mạo

AN GIANG Chăm Muslim communities in the southern province of An Giang are celebrating Ramadan month which lasts until April 9.

These communities are located in An Phú, Châu Phú, and Châu Thành Districts, Tân Châu Town, and Long Xuyên City.

Haji Jacky, head of the provincial Islamic community representative committee, said Ramadan is the most important festival for Muslims.

During the month, Muslim adults have to fast and not smoke in the daytime as an act of worship.

This kind of spiritual discipline guides people towards sympathy, love, and sharing, and thus bridges the gap between the poor and the rich, he said.

During the month, Muslims have to pray five times a day among 28 different mosques at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening.

Sity Hara, deputy head of the Social Charity Department, said that during Ramadan, daily production activities, such as weaving, agriculture, fishing, and farming, still continue as normal.

The province’s Chăm Muslim community does many charity activities during the month, as this practice is among the Five Pillars of Islam.

The committee said it has also received around a thousand gifts from domestic and foreign organisations since the beginning of March to give to underprivileged people to help them have a fulfilled Ramadan month.

“The Ramadan month is very instrumental in fostering community sharing and minimising wealth inequality, which in turn can help build a stronger Muslim community,” she said.

On the final day of Ramadan will be the Rona Pittak festival, in which the Chăm Muslim communities celebrate by cooking many traditional dishes such as ha-pum, pây-kgah, cha-đoll, pây-nung, curry, and capua. VNS