A glorious season of bliss, faith and worship come to an end marking a day of grandeur!
Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the two major Islamic festivals in the world. In fact, it is the most significant festival in the Islamic calendar. The celebrations of the festival is never limited to one day as the Muslims fast for a whole month, the Holy month of Ramadan, before celebrating Eid. Therefore, festive vibes are everywhere once the month has started. Not only Eid Day, but the whole month of Ramadan too serves as a symbol of faith, brotherhood, joy and love.
Apart from the ineffable joy the festival brings to both the young and the grown-up, it remains an emblem of increased faith. When it comes to the source of this festival, Ramadan, it is a unique month for every Muslim in the world. They fast, perform charitable deeds, pray in the masjids, and recite the Holy Qur’an in the month of Ramadan. It is the month when the less faithful become more faithful, carrying out a lot of good deeds prescribed by the Lord Allah.
Non-Muslims would often ask why Muslims should fast for a whole month and stay nearly a whole day hungry and thirsty. Well, the answer to this question is quite obvious in Islam. First, it is obligatory for each and every Muslim to fast in Ramadan as it’s a command from Allah. Secondly, Muslims consider fasting a gateway to open hearts and feel for the poor. Thus, they tend to support the needy and helpless in the community to uplift their lives. Thirdly, fasting enhances one’s faith in Allah (called “Eemaan” in Arabic) along with patience: whatever happens, the believer has to wait till sunset to break his fast. If he does so before the right time, his fast is not accepted by Allah. So by fasting one can definitely increase the level of patience which helps build one’s personality as well.
Let us move on to Eid again. On this day, Muslims would take a voluntary (Sunnah) bath before dressing up in their new attire and leaving for Masjids for Eid prayer. At the Masjid, each and every Muslim embraces one another after the prayer highlighting unity and peace among themselves. Then they tend to visit the poor and make them happy with gifts. Families too exchange gifts among themselves and rejoice with love. Although these seem common to every religion, in Islam these traditions are viewed differently. In fact, they are the rituals that are either prescribed by the Almighty in the Qur’an or followed by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Therefore, they are not actually traditions but are religious observances which include merits.
Let this Eid be a unique celebration which accelerates the lives of all humans both spiritually and worldly and may it be a strong token of bliss, joy and love for every human out there!
