Ayatollah Khamenei Leads Eid al-Fitr Prayers in Tehran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday led the Eid al-Fitr prayers in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
A large number of Iranian people and senior Iranian officials participated in the ceremony.
President Hassan Rouhani, Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Head of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati were among senior Iranian officials taking part in the ceremony.
Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.
Also called Feast of Breaking the Fast, Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
The solemn festival is a specific day on which Muslims are not permitted to fast.
The holiday celebrates the conclusion of 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal.
The exact date for the start of any lunar month varies based on the observation of new moon by local religious authorities, so the day of celebration varies by locality.
Eid al-Fitr has a particular Salat (Islamic prayer) which is generally offered in an open field or a large hall with congregation in attendance.
Muslims believe that they are commanded by God, as mentioned in Quran, to continue their fast until the last day of Ramadan and pay the Zakat al-Fitr -a ritual offering- before offering the Eid prayers.