EIDUL FITR
For everything in the life of man, there is a climax as well as an anti-climax. The climax of Ramadan is Laylatul Qadr (the night of power). That is the night in which the very first revelation in the Qur’an was made to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is also the night in which the entire contents of that Glorious Book are reconfirmed, in the month of Ramadan, every year.
LaylatulQadr is the meeting point between the earth and the heavens. It is the rare opportunity, which the Almighty Allah provides for the Muslim Ummah to reshape its destiny and rekindle it’s spiritual glowing light with which to illuminate it’s dark tunnel of this ephemeral world, towards the eternal life.
The anti-climax of Ramadan begins with the disbursement of Zakatul-Fitr and ends with Eidul-Fitr. Zakatul-Fitr is a part and parcel of Ramadan. Its payment is made obligatory for Muslims, by Prophetic tradition.
Eidul Fitr, on the other hand, is the festivity with which genuine Muslims display gratitude, to the Almighty Allah, for taking them, successfully, through another month of blessing, forgiveness and liberation.
Eidul-Fitr is essentially a combination of supererogatory prayer consisting of two genuflexions (Rakats), with a sermon. The Rakats are observed, in congregation, at a place called Eid, a couple of hours after Salatus-Subh. The genuflexions of Eidul-Fitr are followed, immediately, with a sermon to be delivered by the Imam.
To participate in the observance of Eidul-Fitr Muslims are expected to wear a festive and not a mourning mood. They should be gay in appearance without necessarily being luxurious. After the congregational observance of two Rakats of Eidul Fitr,
it is advisable that the congregants should listen to the sermon (Khutbah), to be delivered by the Imam, because that seemon is weightier and more important than the Eid prayer itself. The anticlimax of Ramadan fast called Eidul Fitr will come up in a few days time, in sha’Allah. When it comes, let not it’s festivities lure brothers and sisters into a new arena of iniquities.
EID MUBARAK!
