Al-Amn Magazine

SECURITY CULTURE T The cannon and I f t ar When i t ’ s t ime to end t he fas t he Iftar Cannon is a long-held tradition that began in Egypt and spread to all Ottoman Empire. Every evening upon the Maghrib adhan (sunset call to prayer), a cannon would fire a single shot to notify people of the start of Iftar in Ramadan, when Muslims get to break their day-long fasting as the sun sets. Though the tradition is practiced today in most parts of the Muslim world, the blast of the cannon was first used to inform the entire city of the time of Iftar, before the invention of accurate clocks and mass media. The cannon is first fired to herald the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, and then each day to announce the breaking of the fast at the sunset prayers of Maghrib. Most historians agree the practice originated in Egypt, with some claiming it dates back as far as the 10th century, when one of the Fatimid caliphs ordered a cannon be placed on Cairo›s MuqatamHill so all Muslims would hear the signal to break their fasts, although this is unlikely as cannons were not invented yet. Other historians trace the tradition to the Mamluk ruler Sayf ad-Din Khushqadam in the 15th century, but the most common account places the origin of the custom in the 19th century, during the reign of Ottoman governor of Egypt Muhammad Ali. A popular story is that the practice originated during the time of the Mamluk ruler, Khosh Qadam. It was said the Sultan was given a cannon and that his soldiers tested it by firing it one sunset. By coincidence, this happened at the end of the day›s fasting in Ramadan. When the people of Cairo heard the boom, they took it as sign they could end their fast, and were so thrilled with the idea that they thronged to the palace to congratulate the Sultan. Seeing an opportunity to endear her father to the people, his daughter Hajja Fatimah urged him to fire the cannon every day for iftar. He agreed and the tradition of «midfa al iftar» was born, with the local nickname