Koriteh feast marks the end of Ramadan. To young people in The Gambia, however, the end of a whole month of spiritual cleansing also marks the beginning of premarital sexual affair and they greet the celebratory occasion with a bang.

Signs are that a lot of young people are hungry to release the urge and have booked to indulge in late night hanky panky, especially on the day after the holy feast.  .

Koriteh should be about worshipping God, and not about sex.

Amir ul-Mumineen (AS) said: "No one shall move on the day of resurrection until he is questioned about what he has done during his life, what he has used his youth for, how he has used his knowledge, and how he has obtained his wealth and spent it".

Also in the Quran: "And whoever seeks a [way of life] other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers"

According to scholars, our attitude towards Islam must remain consistent throughout the year. While it is true that in the Blessed thirty days of Ramadan our good deeds are

multiplied, they will mean nothing if you spend Koriteh holiday having penetration.

Many young girls get the idea that if they haven’t already had sex with their boyfriends, second day of Koriteh is the perfect time to give it up. Why?  The holiday is about offering gratitude to God.

It is even forbidden during Koriteh to excessively mix and mingle with the opposite sex who are not mahrem relatives.