They held Idul Fitri prayers at Baitul Makmur mosque, 15 kilometers away from provincial capital Padang.
"Today all followers of Naqshabandiyah in West Sumatra totalling around 8,000 people are celebrating Idul Fitri," Syafri Malin Mudo, the chief of Naqshbandiyah followers of Baitul Makmur, said.
He said it was not a problem that their date of Idul Fitri was different from that set by the government.
"The government has its way of determining the date of Idul Fitri and so do we, which is based on the Koran and Hadist," he said.
He said there are dozens of mosques and houses of prayers that are used as centers of prayers for Naqshabandiyah followers, such as those in Pauh and Lubuk Kilangan subdistricts.
In response to the event the head of Islamic affairs of the local office of the ministry of religious affairs, Marzuki, said the government actually hoped that all people could celebrate the day at the same time.
However if some would do it earlier he called on all parties to respect it. The difference is a blessing and the Idul Fitri momentum must be used as a means of increasing brotherhood, he said. ***6***
H-YH/HAJM/F001
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
