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Eid
Mubarak.. A Day of Moral Victory
Eid means recurring happiness or festivity. There are two
such ‘Eids’ in Islam. The first is called ‘Eid
Ul-Fitr’(the Festival of Breaking Fast).
It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the
Muslim year, following the month of Ramazan, which is the
month of fasting in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed.
The second is called ‘Eid Al-Adha’ (the Festival
of Sacrifice). It falls on the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, the
final month of the Muslim year. The Islamic ‘Eids’
are unique in every way. To them, there can be nothing similar
in any other religion, or any other sociopolitical system.
Besides their highly spiritual and moral characteristics,
they have matchless qualities.
Each ‘Eid’ is a wholesome celebration of a remarkable
achievement of the individual Muslim in the service of Allah.
The first ‘Eid’ comes after an entire month of fasting
during the days of the month. The second ‘Eid’ marks
the completion of Hajj to Makkah, a course in which the Muslim
handsomely demonstrates his renouncement of the mundane concerns
and hearkens only to the eternal voice of Allah.
Each ‘Eid’ is a thanksgiving day on which Muslims
assemble in a brotherly and joyful atmosphere to offer their
gratitude to Allah for helping them to fulfill their spiritual
obligations prior to the ‘Eid.’ This form of thanksgiving
is not confined to spiritual devotion and verbal expressions.
It goes far beyond that to manifest itself in a handsome shape
of social and humanitarian spirit. The Muslims who have completed
the fasting of Ramazan express their thanks to Allah by means
of distributing alms among the poor and needy on the first
‘Eid’ before the Prayer.
‘Eid’ also is a day of remembrance. Even in their
most joyful times, the Muslims make a fresh start of the day
by a congregational Prayer to Allah. They pray to Him and
glorify His name to demonstrate their remembrance of His favours.
Along with that course, they remember the deceased by praying
for their souls, the needy by extending a hand of help, the
grieved by showing them sympathy and consolation, the sick
by cheerful visits and utterances of good wishes, the absentees
by cordial greetings and sincere considerateness. Thus, the
meaning of remembrance on the day transcends all limits and
expands over far-reaching dimensions of human life.
Most of the imams when delivering the `Eid khutbah (sermon)
will mention that ‘Eid’ is a day of victory. The
individual who succeeds in securing his spiritual rights and
growth receives the ‘Eid’ with a victorious spirit.
The individual who faithfully observes the duties that are
associated with the ‘Eid’ is a triumphant one. He
proves that he holds a strong command over his desires, exercises
sound self-control, and enjoys the taste of disciplinary life.
Once a person acquires these qualities, he has achieved his
greatest victory, because the person who knows how to control
himself and discipline his desires, is free from sin and wrong,
from fear and cowardice, from vice and indecency, from jealousy
and greed, from humiliation and all other causes of enslavement.
Therefore, when he receives the ‘Eid,’ which marks
the achievement of this freedom, he is in fact celebrating
his victory, and the ‘Eid’ thus becomes a day of
victory.
This is the proper meaning of an Islamic ‘Eid.’
It is a day of thanksgiving, a day of festive remembrance,
and a day of moral victory. An Islamic ‘Eid’ is
all this and is much more because it is a day of Islam, a
day of Allah. Let’s celebrate this ‘Eid’ with
the true iman (faith) and taqwa (piety). In sha’Allah,
besides having enjoyment, we will be blessed by Allah.
Sawmeer
Anuradhapura
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