[INDENT]Eid ul Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadhan. We say farewell to the blessed month, it’s beautiful days and its fragrant nights. We leave the month of seeking nearness to Ar-Rahmaan, the school of Imaan and an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries.Eid-ul-Fitr (Id al-Fitr) is linked with the Holy month of Ramadan.
It signifies the end of the month of fasting (the first day of the month of Shawwal).Eid-ul-Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs.Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when the Muslims thank God for having given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe fast and obey His commandment during the holy month of Ramadan.
This day, in Muslim world, brings rejoicing and happiness. The rejoicing is not, however, at the departure of the month of Ramadan; it is the happiness which man feels after successfully completing an important task.It is celebrated for three days in a holiday called Eid-ul-Fitr (the Feast of Fast Breaking). Gifts are exchanged. Friends and family gather to pray in congregation.The feast of Fitr is God’s reward for those who fast during the holy month of Ramadan. In this month, man should try to add to his true knowledge of God, do acts of charity for the needy, renew his beliefs towards his Lord and this will be a real Bairam Feast (Turkish word meaning festival) for him.
The prayers of the day of Bairam a reason of unity and solidarity of Muslims all over the world.Why celebrate Eid ul Fitr?Is Eid a sign of happiness that Ramadhan has finished? Quite the opposite!It is a celebration of thanks to Allah for giving us the chance and the strength to carry out His commands in the blessed month. We are happy that we were able to fast and pray in Ramadhan, and have hopefully increased in taqwa (God-consciousness), the goal of fasting.
Allah says in Sura al-Baqarah, ayat 185: “You shall complete the number (of days) and you may glorify God for His guiding you, and that you may be thankful.”Imam Ali (AS) says: “Eid is for him whose fasts have been accepted by Allah, and whose worship has been appreciated by Allah. Everyday in which you do not disobey Allah is a day of Eid.”The Holy Prophet (SAW) celebrated Eid and encouraged all Muslims to do so. They told Muslims to wear good clothes, put on perfume, and go to the mosque to recite the Eid prayer. They also said to exchange Eid greetings, visit each other, and generally pass the day joyfully. We should remember the poor by taking out fitrah before Eid, and visiting them and sending them gifts if we can.The day of Eid is meant for remembering Allah.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) says: “Give beauty to your Eid by doing takbir”.It is said that the Prophet (SAW) himself used to come out of his home on the day of Eid, reciitng the takbir and glorifying Allah in a loud voiceFor who is to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr ?Eid al-Fitr is a great day of festival for Muslims. It is a day of rejoicing and being happy. But for whom? Is it the day of rejoicing for those who simply put on new clothes and wear perfume? Or is it the day of being happy for those who were eagerly waiting for the release of the greatest enemy of mankind, Satan, from his captivity so that they all revert to committing sins? Unfortunately, many Muslims abstain from sins during the month of Ramadhan, but come Eid, they go back to what they were before! Cassettes of prayers, which were in their cars during the holy month, are thrown back into their cases and replaced with those, which are unlawful, by Shari’ah.
The forbidden places from which they had abstained for month long, are infact the same places they go to celebrate Eid.Just as, when a person goes to a college, or a university and at the completion of his course, he receives his award marking his achievement, we must understand that, the holy month of Ramadhan is a spiritual university where we are being trained to achieve Taqwa i.e. piety.The day of Eid al-Fitr is when Allah (SWT) is awarding us for our achievements.What to do on this Day ? Sunnah Of Eid PrayerThe following acts are prescribed as Sunnah at the beginning of the day of ‘Eid-ul-Fitr before proceeding to the Eid prayer:
1. To wake up early in the morning.
2. To clean one’s teeth with a Miswaak or a brush.3. To take a bath.4. To put on one’s best available clothes.5. To wear perfume.6. To eat a sweet food, preferably dates, before the Eid prayer.7. To recite the following Takbir in the low voice while going to the ‘Eid prayer:Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar
[/INDENT]
It signifies the end of the month of fasting (the first day of the month of Shawwal).Eid-ul-Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs.Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when the Muslims thank God for having given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe fast and obey His commandment during the holy month of Ramadan.
This day, in Muslim world, brings rejoicing and happiness. The rejoicing is not, however, at the departure of the month of Ramadan; it is the happiness which man feels after successfully completing an important task.It is celebrated for three days in a holiday called Eid-ul-Fitr (the Feast of Fast Breaking). Gifts are exchanged. Friends and family gather to pray in congregation.The feast of Fitr is God’s reward for those who fast during the holy month of Ramadan. In this month, man should try to add to his true knowledge of God, do acts of charity for the needy, renew his beliefs towards his Lord and this will be a real Bairam Feast (Turkish word meaning festival) for him.
The prayers of the day of Bairam a reason of unity and solidarity of Muslims all over the world.Why celebrate Eid ul Fitr?Is Eid a sign of happiness that Ramadhan has finished? Quite the opposite!It is a celebration of thanks to Allah for giving us the chance and the strength to carry out His commands in the blessed month. We are happy that we were able to fast and pray in Ramadhan, and have hopefully increased in taqwa (God-consciousness), the goal of fasting.
Allah says in Sura al-Baqarah, ayat 185: “You shall complete the number (of days) and you may glorify God for His guiding you, and that you may be thankful.”Imam Ali (AS) says: “Eid is for him whose fasts have been accepted by Allah, and whose worship has been appreciated by Allah. Everyday in which you do not disobey Allah is a day of Eid.”The Holy Prophet (SAW) celebrated Eid and encouraged all Muslims to do so. They told Muslims to wear good clothes, put on perfume, and go to the mosque to recite the Eid prayer. They also said to exchange Eid greetings, visit each other, and generally pass the day joyfully. We should remember the poor by taking out fitrah before Eid, and visiting them and sending them gifts if we can.The day of Eid is meant for remembering Allah.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) says: “Give beauty to your Eid by doing takbir”.It is said that the Prophet (SAW) himself used to come out of his home on the day of Eid, reciitng the takbir and glorifying Allah in a loud voiceFor who is to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr ?Eid al-Fitr is a great day of festival for Muslims. It is a day of rejoicing and being happy. But for whom? Is it the day of rejoicing for those who simply put on new clothes and wear perfume? Or is it the day of being happy for those who were eagerly waiting for the release of the greatest enemy of mankind, Satan, from his captivity so that they all revert to committing sins? Unfortunately, many Muslims abstain from sins during the month of Ramadhan, but come Eid, they go back to what they were before! Cassettes of prayers, which were in their cars during the holy month, are thrown back into their cases and replaced with those, which are unlawful, by Shari’ah.
The forbidden places from which they had abstained for month long, are infact the same places they go to celebrate Eid.Just as, when a person goes to a college, or a university and at the completion of his course, he receives his award marking his achievement, we must understand that, the holy month of Ramadhan is a spiritual university where we are being trained to achieve Taqwa i.e. piety.The day of Eid al-Fitr is when Allah (SWT) is awarding us for our achievements.What to do on this Day ? Sunnah Of Eid PrayerThe following acts are prescribed as Sunnah at the beginning of the day of ‘Eid-ul-Fitr before proceeding to the Eid prayer:
1. To wake up early in the morning.
2. To clean one’s teeth with a Miswaak or a brush.3. To take a bath.4. To put on one’s best available clothes.5. To wear perfume.6. To eat a sweet food, preferably dates, before the Eid prayer.7. To recite the following Takbir in the low voice while going to the ‘Eid prayer:Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar
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