A Kenyan Muslim prays next to other one sleeping before Zohar prayers at a mosque during Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, June 7, 2016. Ramadan
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On the last Friday ahead of Ramadan, members of Kenya’s Muslim community gathered at the local market or met for prayers at the main mosque in the capital Nairobi.
“I welcome Ramadan, Inshallah Khair (Good, as God wills it). Allah has enabled us, praise be to God. We are happy as Muslims Inshallah. We pray to Allah to enable us to reach the next Ramadan, everything is okay, praise be to God” said Hassan Aden Mohamed a shopkeeper in Nairobi.
According to a census taken in Kenya in 2019, Kenya has a Christian majority with Islam being the second largest faith with 11% of the population.
Kenya’s Muslim population was introduced by Arab merchants who arrived on the Swahili Coast around the eighth century.
Ahead of the start of the holy month, Mohamed Sheikh Isaac, director of Daawa at Jamia Mosque, urged the community to help one another in times of need and to reach out to those who are less fortunate in our society.
“All over the world today Muslims are prepared to pray the night prayers, to fast during the day of Ramadan, to give Sadaka (Offerings) and Zakat (Charity) as much as possible. To reach out to those who are less fortunate in our society and also to help one another in terms of solving some economical, social problems that are facing us in one way or other”.
Depending on the sighting of the moon, Ramadan will either begin on Monday, March 11, or Tuesday 12.
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