Ramzan - Festival of Brotherhood

The holy month of Ramzan has arrived and the air is filled with religious fervour and solemnity.

A month of prayers 
Ramzan is celebrated in Kerala with all its traditional religious sanctity. The faithful start prayers and fasting soon after sunrise. They refrain from universal enjoyments during this month as a total surrender to Allah.

Namaz is offered five times a day and Tarawih, a special prayer is held at mosques in the night. Recitation of the Holy Quran and Itikaf (remaining in secluded devotion during the last ten days of the month) form part of the observance. 

Meditating in the Laylat al-Qadr, anniversary of the holy night in which the first verses of the Holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad, is considered to be auspicious.

A believer's fasting is complete only with Zakat al-Fitr, charity that must be paid at the end of Ramzan. Religious discourses are held in mosques on all days.

Islam in Kerala 
The video presents scenes from Palayam mosque in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum) city in Kerala, India.

The glorious tradition of Islam in Kerala dates back to eighth century AD. This tiny state boasts of the first mosque in the Indian sub continent. This ancient mosque known as Cheraman Juma Masjid is situated at Kodungalloor in the district of Thrissur.