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O
Ummah of Muhammed (Peace be upon Him) come forth from your
houses towards Allah who is noble and gracious, who grants
much and pardons the major sins. This is how, on the morning
of Eid-ul-Fitr festival day, angels of Allah (Malaaikah) call
out to Muslims.
When the believers proceed for Eid prayers, Almighty Allah
says to the angels: ‘What indeed is the reward of that
employee who has rendered his services?’ The Malaaikah
reply: ‘O our Lord and Master, it is only right that
he shall receive his reward in full for his services.’
Allah then proclaims, ‘I call you to witness, O my Malaaikah,
that for their having fasted for me during the month of Ramazan
and for their having stood before me in prayers by night,
I have granted to them as reward my pleasure and forgiveness.’
Those people who brighten the holy month of Ramazan, the only
month which Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran, are promised
bountiful blessings, forgiveness and eternal bliss.
Though we celebrate the festival, many a devotee regrets
to bid farewell to this holy month, as our holy Prophet Muhammed
said: ‘If my followers were to realise what Ramazan really
was, they would wish the whole year should just be Ramazan.’
With the dawn of new Shawwal moon, Ramazan fasting, Tharaveeh
prayers and paying of zakat, which is recommended in this
month, will come to an end but other obligations, such as,
prayers five times a day, recitation of Holy Quran and distribution
of charity will continue.
Islam has bestowed two festivals for its followers,
namely; Eid-Ul-Fitr the Ramazan festival and Eid-Ul-Azha the
Haj festival. Both are to be celebrated after some sacrifices,
for then they are valued more.
Eid-Ul-Fitr is celebrated on completion of 29 or 30
days of fasting, which is a great sacrifice made against the
needs of the body and soul. Here celebration of the festival
gives immense satisfaction to followers who actively engage
in attentive Ibadat (religious observance), day and night,
in the holy month of Ramazan, sacrificing and controlling
their desires.
The noteworthy feature of the festival is that the day begins
with the festival prayers in the Mosque. Believers clad in
new clothes flock in large numbers to offer prayers. Once
the congregational prayer is over, Muslims greet each other
with the salutation ‘Thakabal Allahu
Minna Wa Minka (O Allah accept us and others),’ thus
forgetting past differences. Much needed unity and brotherhood
is established.
The Ramazan festival is termed Eid-Ul-Fitr because it gives
prominence to fulfilling the aspirations of the poor and needy.
Affluent and faithful Muslims, who understand the pangs of
hunger and consider the feelings of the poor through Ramazan
fasting, visit the needy and assist them with food, clothing
and cash. Islam orders every Muslim with means to give at
least two full measures of rice as Sadaqathul Fitr before
going out for festival prayers the following morning.
This Sadaqathul Fitr frees the poor of the necessity
of going around (looking for alms) on this day and helps them
to feel rich.
One should not forget that among the poor, there are
righteous and faithful followers who, through fasting, attain
contentment and happiness. They are always grateful to their
lord and care not for their sustenance.
Soon after the Eid prayers, the Muslims go to the burial grounds
to invoke the mercy of Allah and his forgiveness for the dead.
While visiting the grave one should say ‘Peace be upon
you, O people of the grave. May Allah pardon you and pardon
us. You are forerunners and we are in your footsteps.’
The visit to the graves acts as a reminder of what to expect
next.
This visit teaches us that on no occasion should our mind
be immersed in fun and frolic, thus neglecting the remembrance
of Almighty Allah and life after death. We must always remember
Almighty Allah who will save us from total annihilation and
a worse predicament.
May Allah accept our religious observances performed during
the holy month of Ramazan and reward us in this world as well
as in the hereafter.
M. Fowzul Aleem Farook
Registrar of Muslim
Marriages
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