Prayers for Piety : 7,000 Muslims Gather to Celebrate the End of Ramadan Holy Month

In vivid ceremonial tunics, somber business suits and blue jeans, an estimated 7,000 Muslims from Orange County gathered at a Garden Grove mosque Friday, joining millions of worshipers worldwide in celebrating the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The holiday, called Eid ul-Fitr, ends a period of reflection on the spiritual lessons of the Koran, the Islamic scriptures, and daytime fasting to remind worshipers of those less fortunate.

“God wants us to know how it feels to be poor,” said 10-year-old Fareena Baqai of Orange, wearing a holiday outfit of flowing yellow pants and a knee-length purple blouse. “When I fast, I feel like it must be hard to be poor.”

Her mother, R. Shaheen Baqai, nodded approvingly.

“Parents need to teach them the significance of this,” said Baqai, a physician. “You really feel the needs of other people, and we become more giving.”

A threat of rain prompted organizers to move Orange County’s largest observance from Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley to the Islamic Society of Orange County at the last minute. It took a series of back-to-back prayer sessions to accommodate the overflow crowd. According to tradition, men and women worshiped in separate halls.

Squeezed closely together on their prayer rugs, worshipers were exhorted to continue the Ramadan season’s goals of piety, self-restraint and consideration of the needy.

“This is . . . to remember the starving people,” said A. Najjar, who served as imam, or spiritual leader, during one prayer session. “We have a purpose. Everything we do has a purpose.”

It was easy to find those seeking help. Just outside the mosque, Chechen activists collected donations to buy food and medical aid for people in their war-torn Muslim homeland.

One of them, Muneer Yasin, said his relatives were forced to flee the Chechen capital of Grozny during the recent fighting with Russian troops. As he handed out flyers, Yasin recalled that Ramadan last year was marked by worldwide Muslim concern for their brethren in Bosnia. Now it was Chechnya needing help, he said.

“It’s whoever needs it. Wherever there’s an Islamic cause, Muslims try to do their best,” said Yasin, who lives in Orange and helps run a neon-sign business.

Friday’s gathering reflected Islam’s diverse global following, with immigrants from Pakistan and India worshiping side by side with those from Albania, the Middle East and the United States. Clothing ranged from the traditional, including long sherwani tunics, ornate shawls and turbans, to the casual styles of Southern California: Gap shirts and baseball caps.

Outside, a group of friends played with a video camera, mugging for one another and showing off their curly-toed khussa shoes.

“We’re trying to do ‘MTV Unplugged,’ ” said Naveed Ghori, 23. “This is ‘Eid Unplugged,’ ” chimed in his friend Javid Baqal, 22.

The mood throughout the day was festive, and the celebratory air was punctuated by frequent holiday wishes of “Eid Mubarak!”

For many people, there would be parties later, with gifts to exchange--toys and money for children--and holiday meals cooked during the last week of fasting. Some children were toting toy trucks and badminton sets offered by the mosque.

Ambreen Saeed, 16, was looking forward to spending the afternoon with friends and family for food and talk.

“It’s a time of happiness and when the community comes together,” Saeed said. “And everyone has fun.”