SASKATOON -- It’s a big day for Muslims around the world, as they celebrate the end of Ramadan with Eid.

“It’s one of the most important celebrations that Muslims have in a year,” said Mubarik Syed, who does public relations for Baitur Rahmat mosque in Saskatoon.

During the month of Ramadan, there is no eating while the sun is up.

“The purpose of it is to become righteous, and to seek the nearness of God,” said Syed. “We stop eating our breakfast about an hour and a half, two hours before the sun comes up. And then, until the sun goes down, we do not eat or drink anything.”

Eid is about showing gratitude for being given the strength to make it through that month of fasting.

“It is the day when we thank God for enabling us to go through a physical and spiritual boot camp, if you will, a special refresher course, which is Ramadan,” said Syed.

“This is a day of gratitude to God, enabling us to go through and giving us the strength to go through that boot camp, and refurbish ourselves and rejuvenate ourselves, both physically and spiritually.

“At the same time, it is a time to remember the less fortunate ones. The ones who do not have enough means, do not have enough food and water in the world and going through many other diseases and other troubles.”

It’s the second straight year that Eid has been changed by the pandemic.

“Abiding by the law of the land is in the fundamental teachings of Islam, and we are very happy to do that,” said Syed.

Syed says the mosque has a capacity of up to 1,400 people, but fewer than 30 people all physically distanced were present on Thursday morning for prayers.

“Normally on Eid day we will be celebrating, going to our friends' houses, people visiting and getting together in bunches and eating together and having other celebrations,” said Syed.

“There's lots of hugging, people hug each other each time and they wish each other happy Eid, they hug. Islam is a very social religion, it teaches you to be very social and create that bond of love, brotherhood, sisterhood. And that is one of the purposes that we get together at the mosque to socialize. But obviously, we cannot do it.”

Syed says about two months and 10 days after Eid, comes the Eid of Sacrifice.

“That marks the end of one of the most important pillars of Islam which is Hajj, and that is the pilgrimage that happens in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and at the end of that pilgrimage we celebrate another Eid, and that is called Eid al-Adha. That is the Eid of Sacrifices.”