ILMA Azmol
Eid ul Fitr is a holiday for Muslims; a day of joy following a month of fasting and obedience to Allah. It is determined by the sighting of the moon, which marks the 1st day of Shawwal. It is meant to be a gift from Allah to exit the holy month with a celebration for those who worked hard in terms of Ibadah. It should encourage us to continue the progress made in Ramadan, and thank Allah for our ability to worship him. After spending 30 days abstaining from eating foods at the regular times, and breaking old habits to form new ones, it is time to embrace a new you with a grand start to the upcoming months. While Ramadan is a time of seclusion and distancing ones self from worldly affairs, Eid introduces a more familiar routine and encourages the meeting of family members and friends to celebrate with. Eid; a global Muslim holiday also wishes to unite all Muslims; from the oasis of the desert to a diverse, populated city.
Fasting is not permissible on Eid up-Fitr, and does not abide by the sunnah of the Prophet. We should worship Allah through giving Sadaqah (charity) in full measures of laughter and smiles, by forgiving wholeheartedly and reviving our relations with fellow brothers and sisters.
On Eid, we also have an extra opportunity to make salah- we should worship Allah more as a way to celebrate.
The Prophet’s tradition was to eat an odd number of dates, offer zakat ul-fitr, entertained guests, and to visit the sick. On return from Masjid, Muhammad (pbuh) would take a different route back home. It is important to remember that as Muslims, all good times are earned through resilience and hardship prior to the given day. I pray that all Muslims enjoy this day and spread love and happiness to those around them.