Ramadan Cannon: Traditional Custom, Shots Spreading Joy and Happiness in Holy Month

Doha, April 03 (QNA) - There are many traditional customs and vocabulary that accompany the holy month of Ramadan from the East to the Maghreb.. They disappear throughout the days and months of the year, and reappear with the first days of fasting, when everyone is eager to come and return in joy and rejoicing, and on top of them is the Ramadan cannon. The Ramadan cannon is considered a traditional Ramadan tradition par excellence. Almost all Islamic countries share this heritage, including Qatar, where a number of institutions deliberately prepare a special place for it throughout the month, including Souq Waqif and Katara Cultural Village. Canon shots provokes panic and fear during war days, but during this month shell spreads joy and excitement, such as artillery shots fired when receiving high-ranking guests in the country, or during the days of major national celebrations. The Director of Events and Cultural Affairs at Katara Khalid Abdel Rahim Al Sayed, said in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that Ramadan Cannon will be among the main events in Ramadan for this year, and it is among what the Cultural Village Foundation Katara is preparing for its rich activities calendar during this holy month. He added, that Katara, has been able to be the most important tourist destination in the State of Qatar, with its programs and events that suit all groups and ethnicities, to achieve its permanent slogan, "Katara, a meeting place of cultures" in order to enhance its cultural and tourism role, Katara is interested in providing a special Ramadan atmosphere every year that combines aspects of culture, entertainment and psychological recreation, which instills reassurance in the hearts of visitors in an atmosphere of pure faith. He explained that Ramadan cannon has a special place in the hearts of citizens and residents and attracts a large audience before the moments of the Maghrib call to prayer in Ramadan, given its great symbolism. Qataris also have memories of this good habit that was associated in the conscience with the time of breakfast, when those who could not hear the call to prayer, the shell of the cannon allowed them to know the end of the day of fasting. For his part, Khalifa al-Sayed, a researcher in Qatari heritage, explained in a similar statement to (QNA), that the cannon has various uses, including announcing the start and end of the month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and on occasions, or when an important guest arrives in the country, in addition to marriage celebrations in (Al-Ardah), or preparing for war. He noted that thanks to the calm that prevailed in the past, where there was no noise of car engines or air conditioners, the rumble of the cannon shot was heard from afar, pointing out that in the city of Doha there was one cannon, in addition to the cities of Al Wakra and Al Khor. He mentioned that the name of the cannon shot was called "Al-Werda", as it fires one shot at the Maghrib call of prayer to inform the end of the day of fasting, and also before the dawn call to prayer, in order to inform the fasting people to abstain from food and drink, indicating that during Eid al-Fitr either 3 or 7 shots were fired. In view of the progress and development that society has known, the researcher in Qatari heritage pointed out that the Ramadan cannon has become a landmark of heritage. For his part, Dr. Ali Afifi Ali Ghazi, writer and researcher in history, said in a similar statement to QNA, about the story of the Ramadan cannon, that the narrations differed in the date of the story of the Iftar cannon in the blessed month of Ramadan. A narration says that Sultan Khushqadam (1460 - 1467) was testing a new cannon given to him by one of the rulers, and that coincided with sunset on the first day of Ramadan in 865 AH / 1467 AD. As the scholars and the people of Cairo flocked to the Sultans palace for iftar, they took the opportunity to express they’re thanks to him by warning them to fire the Iftar cannon, and it seems that the Sultan had approved the idea, so he issued orders to launch the Iftar cannon daily at the time of the Maghrib call to prayer in Ramadan. In another narration, he stated that the factor of chance had an important role, as Muhammad Ali Pasha, the governor of Egypt (1805-1848), was While the army commander was testing one of the imported cannons, a shell was fired by chance at the time of the Maghrib prayer in the month of Ramadan, this was a reason for the happiness of the people, who considered it one of the important aspects of celebrating this blessed month, and the cannon was used after that to warn of the times of Iftar and Suhoor. He added that a third narration mentions that some soldiers of Khedive Ismail (1863-1879) were cleaning one of the cannons, so a shell rang out in the sky of Cairo at the time of the Maghrib call to prayer on one of the days of Ramadan, people liked the idea and started talking about it. As for Qataris when sunset approach, and they circled around the iftar table, they wait for the canon sound as it coincided with the call to prayer. This is for the sake of verification and complete certainty, and in order not to miss the obligation of fasting. Qatari women were also asking the young ones to either go out to the yard or go up on the roof of the house moments before sunset to wait for the sound of the canon, or watch its flash and smoke rising in the sky, and inform them that the time for breakfast has begun. If Ramadan cannon was set in recent years in both Souq Waqif and the southern side of Katara, in the past it was set in a number of areas such as Al Koot fort, next to the Eid prayer hall in Jasra, the old Salata area, the new Rayyan area, Al-Khalifat area, and until recently on Corniche (near the post office). Currently, when it is time for the Maghrib call to prayer during the days of Ramadan, the cannon is set among the audience in Souq Waqif and Katara, who come to see it from all classes, especially children. On either side of it are four soldiers in uniform, on the right and on the left, and they stood in a military arrangement behind the canon, waiting for the order to give the signal to launch the canon with the sound of the Maghrib call to prayer. (QNA)