Eid ul fitr, An Occasion of Colors, Gratitude, Bliss and Harmony
The glaring morning of Eid brings the colors of joys and feasting along, the very first day of the month of Shawwal that is referred as Eid day which is indeed a gala day for Muslims, a rewarding day after the completion of the sacred month of Ramadan. The bliss of the reward in the form of Eid spreads as soon as Muslims catch a glimpse of the new moon. The literal meaning of Eid ul fitr is “festival of breaking fast”.
Eid Preparations and Chaand Raat
The preparations to celebrate the joyful day of Eid start since the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the markets are being crowded with mobs of people who visit shops over and over again to buy the best stuff so that they look perfect on the special day of Eid and stand out among all others.
Women who worry a bit more about how to dress up rush to the shops to buy new clothes that are unique and help them look different among all. Traditional attires are mostly the choice to wear on Eid day, women go for a perfect pair of shoes that complement their outfits. A woman’s look is never completed without a perfectly matching bag or clutch that they usually need to carry their stuff to touch up regularly on Eid day and to keep their Eidi. Searching exact shades of bangles that add more style to a woman look is another important selection for eid day preparation. Women come home with heaps of shopping bags and still find it incomplete.
Unlike women men don’t go for heavy shopping but for eid day everyone wants to look perfect and eye captivating so men also go for the best outfits in town and perfectly complementing shoes with wrist watches that add more charm to their personality.
Kids are also keen in eid shopping, mothers select traditional wears for their cute kids and matching accessories are also the biggest choice of kids for eid day.
After sighting the moon in the night before eid day, people come out of their houses to celebrate ‘Chand raat’. Massive throngs can be seen on roads, markets and streets, mehndi stalls are arranged for women and girls. Shops are decorated with lights, Cities are all illuminated and it goes on till dawn.
Eid Day Celebrations
The exuberant day of Eid starts with Fajar prayer, people start getting ready for the whole joyful day of Eid. People put on new clothes they bought for this special festival. Men head over to mosques to offer eid prayers. Fitrana or Zakat al fitr , given as eid charity is a mandatory thing as narrated by Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him)
‘The prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) enjoined the payment of one Saa’ of dates or one Saa’ of barley as Zakat ul fitr on every Muslim slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he ordered that it be paid before the people went out to offer the ‘Eid prayer.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari 1/409 Altaaf and sons)
Abdullah Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) said,
“The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) declared the payment of Sadaqah al fitr as obligatory; it purifies the fasting person from any indecent act or speech, and is a source of feeding the poor. If one pays Sadaqah al fitr before the salaah, it is considered an accepted charity, if he pays it after the salaah, it is considered an ordinary charity.” (Abu Dawud p.263 Dar al-kutub al-ilmiyyah).
The donation in the form of Fitrana is given to make sure that the poor people can also enjoy the happiness of this sacred occasion.
After Eid prayers, people greet each other as ‘Eid Mubarak’ by hugging. On Eid day, the Prophet Muhammad (Saww) used to take one road to the mosque and a different road on his way back home. He used to do this in order to greet as many people as possible to spread harmony and true colors of bliss.
On the auspicious occasion of eid houses are embellished, families visit their friends and relatives to greet and exchange gifts, special luxurious and delicious foods are served, dining tables are decorated with colorful and yummiest dishes, an exquisitely blissful event of giving Eidi to each other and specially children adds more affection and empathy among people.
Eid day depicts the whole atmosphere of feasting and rejoicing. Special Eid parties are arranged by organizations and people where a large throng is gathered to cherish the blissful moments of happiness and togetherness. Special eid programs for exhibiting true and colorful traditions of eid and entertaining viewers are aired on almost all channels.
Eid ul fitr, A Reward from Allah Almighty
Eid ul fitr is a gift from Allah Almighty to rejoice the supreme triumphant of sacred days of Ramadan when people strictly abstain themselves from eating and drinking while fasting and also refrain from evil deeds for the love of Allah Almighty. Eid ul fitr is a symbol of joy and gratitude when people are grateful to be granted with endless mercy and countless blessings over little deeds of goodness throughout the month of Ramadan.
To make this supremely delightful day of eid when we frequently say ‘eid mubarak’ to each other, we must focus on the ways of actually making it Mubarak and equally joyous for the people who are deprived of so many things we are blessed with. Islam is the religion that typically emphasizes on importance of brotherhood so while celebrating the joys of this beautiful day we should not forget to brighten up this blessed day for less privileged. We ought to give clothes, rations and money to the poor so that they can feed their children up properly at least on this day. To spread a smile on the face of a needy adds more sweetness to the celebrations as it will actually fulfill the real meaning of Eid.