ALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR! LA ILAAHA ILLAALLAHU WALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR! WALILLAHIL HAMD!

 Eid al-Fitr is a unique festival. It neither has connection with any historical event nor is related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs.

The significance of Eid al-Fitr is purely spiritual. It is the day when the Muslims thank Allah for have given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe fast and obey His commandment during the holy month of Ramadhan.

Eid al-Fitr brings rejoicing and happiness. The happiness is not, however, at the departure the month of Ramadhan; it is the happiness which man feels after successfully completing one month training and an important task.

The celebration of Eid al-Fitr is a kind of appreciation to Allah (SWT) who gave the Muslims the opportunity to improve themselves, to improve their personal behaviour, to improve their character and their moral consciousness.

The celebration of Eid al-Fitr is a sign of praise to Almighty Allah who gave Muslims the opportunity to obliterate their sins and to atone for their mistakes which were accumulating throughout the whole year; and this is the time during the month of Ramadhan when Muslims try their best to atone for their sins as much as possible. For this reason Muslims go through a rigorous training program during the month of Ramadhan. Allah said:” Indeed the night spiritual training is superior and better that any other type of training.” (73:6)

The celebration of the Eid al-Fitr is a thanksgiving day where the 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 Ramadhan express their thanks to Allah by means of distributing alms among the poor and needy on the first day of Shawwal. 

The celebration of Eid al-Fitr 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 which are associated with the Eid, is a triumphant one. He proves that he holds a strong command over his desires exercises a sound self-control and enjoys the taste of disciplinary life. And 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. So, when he receives the Eid he is in fact celebrating his victory, and the Eid thus becomes a Day of Victory.

That is the proper meaning of Eid: a Day of Peace and thanksgiving, a Day of Forgiveness and moral Victory, a Day of Good Harvest and remarkable achievements and a Day of Festive Remembrance.

We are fortunate that Prophet Muhammad (saw) insisted that for the Eid prayers all Muslims should pray together in one place, and he himself used to pray in the falaat outside his mosque and in the outskirts of the city of Madinah.

He required all Muslims, men, women, and children, to come to the Eid prayers. Even menstruating ladies should attend the festivity of the Eid and its Khutbah (without praying the shalaat itself); and even if a lady does not have a scarf to cover her head, let a neighbouring Muslim lady offer her a scarf, so that she will be able to attend the Eid festivity.

If there be any difference between one Muslim and another, for one reason or another, it is recommended that this day, during this happy festivity, they should come together and reconcile their differences and try to love one another for the sake of Allah. And anyone who comes first to the other to ask forgiveness, it is he who will be rewarded more. If there by any differences between groups of Muslims, it is today that these groups should forget their differences because this is the occasion of Eid, this is the occasion of happiness, and they should find the means and the methods to works together as One Single Muslim Community under the banner of La ilaha illallah Muhammadun Rasulullah. Since we are Muslims, we should have the concept very clearly in our minds and we must have this slogan that we are Muslim first, we are Muslim last and we are Muslim forever. 

(Prepared by Abdul Muhaemin Karim)