Eid al-Fitr: A festival of unity and thanksgiving

Heraa Hashmi
June 25, 2017

Today as the first rays of sunlight appeared, Muslims in many countries wake for Eid al-Fitr, the festival of the breaking of the fast. It marks the end of Ramadan, a month in which every Muslim (who is able to) fasts from food and water from dawn to dusk. The Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, was believed to have been revealed during this month.

eidulfitr

Eid al-Fitr is one of two annual festivals in Islam, different from Eid al-Adha, oft used interchangeably due to the similar names. This Eid, Eid al-Fitr, celebrates the completion of Ramadan, while Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice, marks the end of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah.

The exact date of Eid al-Fitr is difficult to predict as it’s dependent on the Islamic lunar-based calendar. The dates are decided according to the phases of the moon so it moves 10 to 11 days back each year in respect to the solar-based Gregorian calendar. Eid al-Fitr is observed when the new moon is sighted in the region, signifying the end of the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, and the start of the 10th month, Shawwal. This year it is on the 25th of June, but many countries around the world will be celebrating it on the 26th or 27th.

The significance of Eid al-Fitr is primarily spiritual. The month of Ramadan is seen as the holiest month of the year, culminating in Eid. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadaan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven” (Sahih Muslim and Bukhari).

Muslims thank Allah for enabling them the health and capacity to fast and worship throughout the month. It is not a celebration of the end of Ramadan, but rather of the happiness of remaining steadfast through a blessed time. In fact, the day of Eid al-Fitr is one of the only days of the year on which fasting is prohibited, as the day is reserved for celebration. Many Muslims feel sorrow at the passing of Ramadan, counting the days until the next year arrives.

Eid al-Fitr is observed a public holiday in many Muslim countries, with school and work taking vacation days. In non-Muslim majority countries, this is not the case, but many employers and schools will make allowances for Muslims to take time off for their celebration.

Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr by spending time with loved ones and contributing to the community. It is obligatory upon Muslims, provided they are financially stable, to begin the day by paying Zakat al-Fitr (a special alms given at the end of Ramadan) to the poor and needy so they may have the means to celebrate the day along with others. Zakat al-Fitr is a special form of charity, given in addition to the annual zakat of 2.5% of one’s economic surplus. Charity is a vital aspect of Islam as one of its pillars. If one is not financially able to give zakat, they are eligible as a recipient instead.

Once the religious duty is fulfilled, Muslims gather to offer Eid Prayer, a special prayer only done twice a year. The prayer is usually offered early in the morning. Muslims greet each other by saying “Eid Mubarak, translated as “have a blessed Eid”.

The prayer is followed by a short sermon to remind people of the blessings of God, to reflect on the holy month that’s been completed. While the entire month was a time of spirituality and developing good habits, the day of Eid marks the beginning of a goal to maintain those habits throughout the year.

After the prayer, there are other traditions of Eid, such as wearing one’s best clothes and visiting family and friends. Sweets are exchanged, women and children adorn their hands with mehendi, and luncheons and dinners are often held with a spread of a variety of food. Kids are given Eidi, gifts of money, from the elders in the community. In Ramadan, one of the recommended ways to break fast is with the community, and this carries into the Eid celebrations. Muslims are encouraged to share meals with their neighbors, coworkers, and classmates.

Celebrations last long into the night and even throughout the week. It’s seen as a time of unity and giving thanks to Allah (God) for enabling them to complete the month of spiritual cleansing, forgiveness, and compassion.

Heraa Hashmi

The author, Heraa Hashmi, is a 19 year old University student at Boulder, Colorado. She’s studying Molecular Biology and is the president of Muslim Student Association. Recently she founded Muslims Condemn, a spreadsheet with over 5000 instances of Muslims condemning terrorism and is a part of the Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University, an initiative dedicated to tackling Islamophobia through education. This is her first article for coastaldigest.com

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
June 17,2020

Riyadh, Jun 17: Saudi Arabia is expected to scale back or call off this year's hajj pilgrimage for the first time in its modern history, observers say, a perilous decision as coronavirus cases spike.

Muslim nations are pressing Riyadh to give its much-delayed decision on whether the annual ritual will go ahead as scheduled in late July.

But as the kingdom negotiates a call fraught with political and economic risks in a tinderbox region, time is running out to organise logistics for one of the world's largest mass gatherings.

A full-scale hajj, which last year drew about 2.5 million pilgrims, appears increasingly unlikely after authorities advised Muslims in late March to defer preparations due to the fast-spreading disease.

"It's a toss-up between holding a nominal hajj and scrapping it entirely," a South Asian official in contact with Saudi hajj authorities said.

A Saudi official said: "The decision will soon be made and announced."

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, withdrew from the pilgrimage this month after pressing Riyadh for clarity, with a minister calling it a "very bitter and difficult decision".

Malaysia, Senegal and Singapore followed suit with similar announcements.

Many other countries with Muslim populations -- from Egypt and Morocco to Turkey, Lebanon and Bulgaria -- have said they are still awaiting Riyadh's decision.

In countries like France, faith leaders have urged Muslims to "postpone" their pilgrimage plans until next year due to the prevailing risks.

The hajj, a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, represents a major potential source of contagion as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.

But any decision to limit or cancel the event risks annoying Muslim hardliners for whom religion trumps health concerns.

It could also trigger renewed scrutiny of the Saudi custodianship of Islam's holiest sites -- the kingdom's most powerful source of political legitimacy.

A series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 worshippers, has prompted criticism of the kingdom's management of the hajj.

"Saudi Arabia is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told AFP.

"The delay in announcing its decision shows it understands the political consequences of cancelling the hajj or reducing its scale."

"Buying time"

The kingdom is "buying time" as it treads cautiously, the South Asian official said.

"At the last minute if Saudi says 'we are ready to do a full hajj', (logistically) many countries will not be in a position" to participate, he said.

Amid an ongoing suspension of international flights, a reduced hajj with only local residents is a likely scenario, the official added.

A decision to cancel the hajj would be a first since the kingdom was founded in 1932.

Saudi Arabia managed to hold the pilgrimage during previous outbreaks of Ebola and MERS.

But it is struggling to contain the virus amid a serious spike in daily cases and deaths since authorities began easing a nationwide lockdown in late May.

In Saudi hospitals, sources say intensive care beds are fast filling up and a growing number of health workers are contracting the virus as the total number of cases has topped 130,000. Deaths surpassed 1,000 on Monday.

To counter the spike, authorities this month tightened lockdown restrictions in the city of Jeddah, gateway to the pilgrimage city of Mecca.

"Heartbroken"

"The hajj is the most important spiritual journey in the life of any Muslim, but if Saudi Arabia proceeds in this scenario it will not only exert pressure on its own health system," said Yasmine Farouk from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"It could also be widely held responsible for fanning the pandemic."

A cancelled or watered-down hajj would represent a major loss of revenue for the kingdom, which is already reeling from the twin shocks of the virus-induced slowdown and a plunge in oil prices.

The smaller year-round umrah pilgrimage was already suspended in March.

Together, they add $12 billion to the Saudi economy every year, according to government figures.

A negative decision would likely disappoint millions of Muslim pilgrims around the world who often invest their life savings and endure long waiting lists to make the trip.

"I can't help but be heartbroken -- I've been waiting for years," Indonesian civil servant Ria Taurisnawati, 37, told AFP as she sobbed.

"All my preparations were done, the clothes were ready and I got the necessary vaccination. But God has another plan."

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 4,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 4: Congress MLA UT Khader on Tuesday alleged that B.S. Yediyurappa-led government has stopped providing free food to poor families under 'Anna Bhagya' scheme from last two months which was started by the Congress in the state.

"Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had started a scheme 'Anna Bhagya' under which free rice and wheat to 494 education institutions, NGOs, and old age homes were provided and the present government has stopped providing benefits to the poor people," said the MLA.

Alleging that the present government has stopped with the scheme Khadar said, "From last two months the government has stopped providing free food to the institutes and NGOs."

Khadar further demanded to restart the scheme to help the poor students.

"They should restart the scheme which supports poor students and old age houses, or congress will protest if the scheme is not restarted."

Last year in August, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had said that his government has no plans to stop any "pro-people schemes" including Anna Bhagya.

"Our government has no plans to scrap any of the pro-people schemes. Our Government is a pro-people Government. I have already signed the file to release grants to continue the "Anna Bhagya scheme" the twitter handle of Karnataka Chief Minister's Office had quoted him as saying.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 27,2020

Kalaburgi, May 27: Karnataka's Kalaburgi district recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, as per information provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

In light of the increasing mercury levels, people here were seen consuming sugarcane juice and cold drinks to beat the heat. Animals and birds could also be seen searching for water for relief from the scorching sun.

Locals of the area requested the district administration to take necessary actions such as spraying water on roads, in order to bring down the temperatures.

"We are facing huge heat waves in this district from the past two days, and even the temperature is around 44 to 45 degrees on a daily basis. So, it is a very alarming situation in Kalaburgi. When we move around the city, we are unable to find water and fresh fruit juice, and even if fresh juice is available, we are afraid of getting infected by COVID-19," said one local.

"If we carry cold water, it gets warm within half an hour, and gets unfit for drinking, and it is tough for us. I request the district administration to look into this matter and do the needful such as spraying water on the roads, etc. for slightest relief," he added.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.