Pots of soup for the entire community
This charitable event forms part of Muslims' observance of Ramadan, which is a month of fasting and cleansing.
MBOMBELA – The Muslim community of Valencia rolled up their sleeves and cooked up pots of steaming soup on Sunday to hand out to the underprivileged and poor in their area.
This charitable event forms part of Muslims’ observance of Ramadan, which is a month of fasting and cleansing. During this month they eat before sunrise and then only again after sunset. The fast is held to cleanse the body and to keep the faithful from wrongdoing. It is also a time of reaching out to the poor and less fortunate.
In what is called lillah, the Muslim residents of Valencia collected funds to feed their poor neighbours with a soup called haleem. This weekend the soup was prepared by Mr Zahid Khan and other members of the community. Khan says it’s a very good, nutritional soup which contains chicken and beef with vegetables and lots of spices. “It nurses the body,” he says.
There were over 10 pots varying from 40 to 80 litres.
The hungry started arriving at noon with their own pots and dishes to get generous helpings of soup complemented with naan, a type of bread and lemon to take home. This gesture can only be done on a Sunday.
This coming weekend Muslims will break their fast on either Friday or Saturday, depending on when the new moon is first sighted. It is celebrated in what is known as the Day of Eid.
