Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. A commemoration of Muhammad’s first revelation, the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next.

This year Ramadan starts the evening of Wednesday, Mar 22, 2023 – evening of Friday, Apr 21, 2023.

Fasting from dawn to sunset is obligatory for all adult Muslims. The predawn meal is referred to as suhur, and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar. 

The spiritual rewards of fasting are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan. It is a time of devoting themselves to prayer and study of the Quran.

In the beginning a few food stalls were set up to provide food after the prayers at the Mosque to eat at the end of fasting period.

Now, after sunset during Ramadan, Lakemba’s main street swells with thousands of people of all ages, mostly from Muslim majority countries. They come to break their fast, catch up with family and friends and generally enjoy the evening.

It has now become a carnival atmosphere – a Middle Eastern “Royal Easter Show”, minus the show bags and with appreciably better food! It is now sometimes difficult for the pilgrims to get to the mosque. It has become quite commercialised, forgetting the real meaning of the event (common theme in the world).

In amongst all of this some followers of Jesus from across Sydney organised a “Peace Tent” in Lakemba. Each night a couple of pop-up cabanas are set up, decked out beautifully with cushions and low seating, as a coffee/chai lounge complete with low lighting, Turkish delight and sweet dates.