Holy Shab-e-Barat observed

The holy Shab-e-Barat, known as the night of fortune, was observed across the country last night with due religious fervour and devotion. Muslim devotees spent the night at mosques and homes offering prayers, reciting from the holy Quran and seeking blessings of Allah for long life, peace, progress and happiness for themselves, their families, relatives and friends as well as the nation and the Muslim Ummah.

Muslims consider Shab-e-Barat as one of the three most sacred nights and believe that on this night Almighty Allah decides the fate of all human beings fixing their ‘rizq’ (livelihood) for the next year. The devotees across the country visited graves of their family members and prayed for their eternal peace. Many people have also visited mazars and shrines all over the country.

Many families prepared traditional foods like handmade rice-bread, beef and halua (a kind of dessert made usually from semolina, carrot, chickpea or papaya) both at rural and urban areas across the country on the occasion.

A good number of devotees are observing fast today marking Shab-e-Barat. Food, sweets and money were distributed among the neighbours and the poor. On this occasion, the Islamic Foundation (IF) chalked out programme at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

Religious sermons highlighting the significance of Shab-e-Barat were delivered at the national mosque at 6.30 pm (after Maghrib prayers) while special munajat was offered after Isha prayers.

Senior Pesh Imam of the National Mosque Hafez Mawlana Muhammad Mizanur Rahman delivered sermon and administered the munajat. Tuesday was a public holiday on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and private television channels and radio stations aired special programmes on the occasion while newspapers published special supplements highlighting the significance of the night.