Eid Al Fitr: The Holy Muslim Celebration

Eid al fitr is one of the biggest and most famous holidays of Islam. It is the celebration that follows the fasting of Ramadan. On the first day of Shawwal, the following month after Ramadan in the Islamic calendar, people gather from everywhere in the masjid or mosque, to attend the special Eid prayer that begins this three days long festival. If you wish to learn more about this holy Islamic celebration, read on.

History

 Eid is an Arabic word meaning festival, while fitr means breaking the fast. Therefore, the purpose of Eid al fitr is to celebrate completion of one month of fasting, Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims must fast from dawn until sun set every day. Ramadan is also about being good and kind to people around you, and spreading peace.  Therefore, at the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate their good work during that month.

Zakat al fitr

In the last few days of Ramadan, Muslim families are required to give away a certain amount of money to the poor. This donation can be in form of food, as rice and dates etc. these donations give happiness to many families who are in need, and make sure they can also celebrate Eid al fitr with everyone else, without worrying about the expenses.

The prayer

On the first day of Eid, shortly after the sun rise, Muslims of all ages attend the Eid prayer in the mosque. Before they go, they must eat a sweet snack as a declaration of not being fasting that day. It is forbidden in Islam to fast on the first day of Eid al fitr. After that, everyone dresses in their best clothes and goes to the prayer. The Eid prayer consists of two raka’ahs, which is the unit in Islamic prayer. It also has six additional takbirs.  The Eid prayer must be performed in congregation.  After that, the Imam of the mosque says al khutbah, followed by prayers to Allah (dua’) asking for his forgiveness, and for him to accept the good deeds that was done during Ramadan, and for him to be merciful and bless all the living beings.

The celebration

After attending the Eid prayer, Muslims tend to visit their close relatives to celebrate with each other. People are advised on the first day of Eid to forget all their disagreements with the people they know, and be kind and forgiving. In some cultures, people exchange gifts as part of the celebration, especially with children, who are usually given a small sum of money called eidi. People greet each other on this day commonly by saying “Eid Mubarak” which means blessed Eid or depending on the country, some people say Eid Sa’eed, which means Happy Eid.