What I learnt from one devout Muslim family
Bibian (centre) and sisters. Sura spotting her black hijab. JACK ZIMBA Lusaka WHEN Yussuf Ayami’s 12-year-old son, Musa, sighted the new moon, the family rejoiced because it signified the end of Ramadan – the month-long prayer and fasting observed by Muslims world over. The appearance of the moon also meant the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, one of the most important festivals on the Muslim calendar. Yussuf is a devout third- or fourth-generation Muslim, descended from the Yao in Malawi. He is a self-effacing man with a kind, friendly face. It is early Wednesday morning and many Muslim faithfuls, mostly young men and women, gather at the Chawama mosque to celebrate the end of Ramadan. There is everything to signify this day is special. “We have to dress the best, look the best,” says Yussuf’s wife, Bibian Makwinja-Ayami. The women are dressed in their long dresses with their heads covered with colourful sequined hijabs or head scarfs. Young men, som