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Time-travel to the past with Ramadan cannons

Sharjah - Before the age of clocks and watches, this was how residents were informed about Iftar time. Sharjah is continuing with the practice.

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The Sharjah Police have placed nine cannons in different parts of Sharjah that will be fired at Iftar time. As is the tradition, the police will fire the cannons to notify Muslims it is time to open their fast.

How the tradition came to Sharjah Abdul Aziz Al Mussalam, Chairman of the Sharjah Heritage Institute, said Shaikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi introduced the tradition to Sharjah during his reign between 1924 and 1950. During that time, four cannons were placed in the old Sharjah fort and forts in Kalba, Khor Fakkan and Dhaid. The cannons were used to announce Ramadan and the Iftar time for Bedouins who did not live in the cities. He said though Sharjah was the first emirate to introduce electricity, mosques were not equipped with loudspeakers till the 1970s. The practice of firing cannons was discontinued in Sharjah in the 1980s, but was reintroduced in 1995. afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

Brigadier Said Al Zeri, Sharjah Police chief, said the police have been carrying on with the tradition for the past several years as part of their social commitment to upholding traditional Arab values.
"Two shots will be fired to mark the beginning of the holy month. A single shot will be fired throughout the month to announce Iftar time," said Brig Al Zeri.
The cannons have been installed in Al Jerain, Al Nour Mosque in Al Majaz, Mugadiar Square, Al Talla district, Al Barrab bin Azib Mosque, Al Mirgab, Al Bukhari Mosque in the Eastern region, Al Teraif Mosque in Kalba, Shaikh Rashid Al Qasimi Mosque in Dibba Al Hosn, and Al Dhaid police station.
After the cannons are fired, Iftar meals are distributed among the people who gather to watch the shots. The firing will also be broadcast live by Sharjah TV.
Abdul Aziz Al Mussalam, Chairman of the Sharjah Heritage Institute, said firing of cannons is a tradition that is still practised in most parts of the Muslim world.
Before the age of clocks and watches, this was how residents were informed about Iftar time. Sharjah is continuing with the practice even in the age of televisions and smart devices, he added.
Some historians believe that the custom dates back to as far as 10th century Egypt, when one of the Fatimid caliphs ordered a cannon to be placed on Cairo's Muqatam Hill so all Muslims would hear the signal to break their fasts.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com