At 8 am on the 13 of May, believers in the mosque of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea perform Eid prayer - a holiday prayer.

After the prayer, they listened to the sermon of Mufti Aider Rustemov.

"The month of Ramadan is the month of worship of the Almighty, the month of reading the Qur'an and the month of generosity. This is the month when you have to give alms. I hope that the entire Muslim ummah, as always, as befits this great ummah, has spent this month with dignity. May Allah Almighty accept everyone, in accordance with his Ramadan", - Rustemov said.

During the sermon, the mufti reminded us that the month of Ramadan was spent with great trials for Muslims.

"This month of Ramadan has been easy for the body, but difficult for the soul because we know that we are living in a time when Judgment Day is approaching, a time of turmoil and trials. And this month we have seen the killings in Crimea, and the aggressive actions of the Israeli authorities, the invasion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque - the third shrine of the Muslim ummah, the first Muslim qibla. It is difficult to see, it is difficult to bear, but the Islamic ummah has great aspirations, it is aspirations to the Almighty. That is why such trials and pains will meet on this path”, - Ayder Rustemov said.

Zevri Kurtbedinov, an immigrant from Crimea, says that the month of Ramadan is a holiday of joy and hope.

"We always look forward to the month of Ramadan, we meet every year with joy. It's very good for me and my loved ones, I feel good - maybe it's related to fasting, or maybe it's just a good mood. However, it is impossible to fully convey the meaning of Ramadan spiritually - it is impossible to convey in words. However, I want the joy that is in me and in my loved ones to be passed on to all believers, to all Muslims. I want to wish my fellow believers in Crimea, my relatives and friends - never to lose heart, in spite of everything, to congratulate each other on this holiday. To those fellow believers who are behind bars, I want to wish you a strong spirit and patience. I want to assure them that we are with them, and most importantly - with them, Allah, He never leaves us and we will win in any case!", - Kurtbedinov said.

After the prayer, the faithful greet each other, treat themselves and give gifts to the children.

Political prisoner Ismail Ramazanov shared his memories of the celebration of Eid al-Fitr in Crimea.

"When I was in the Crimea, in this holy month we were always in a hurry to greet, first of all, children. Every holiday we gathered with the boys to organize a holiday for children. Everyone did what they could, set the tables, prepared delicious food and sweets, rented trampolines and attractions. And children came, not only Muslims but also children of our friends [non-Muslims - ed.] To celebrate this day together".

Ishmael also spoke about how he fasted and celebrated Eid al-Fitr when he was behind bars.

"When I was kept in the Simferopol pre-trial detention centre, I remember how every prisoner, our fellow citizen, held a post despite difficult conditions and restrictions. Probably because we were in the Simferopol pre-trial detention centre, our relatives were able to give us food, thanks to which, in fact, we were able to fast. Because the so-called "food" that was given out in the pre-trial detention centre is not at all suitable for a Muslim's diet, because there is pork there, it is not clear what it is at all. Even the cat that came to my cell didn't eat it! I remember this unity of our political prisoners, even in captivity, which helped me not to break. And in the month of Ramadan, we tried to pass some sweets and sweets to each other in the cell".