About Eid
The Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year,
Eid-ul-Fitr and the other, which comes about 10 weeks later, is called Eid-ul-Adha.
Eid-ul-Fitr is a festival that
marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadhan. This joyous day is celebrated to give
thanks for the blessings of Ramadhan. Muslims attend the congregational Eid
prayer service which is held in the morning. They wear new clothing, cook
delicious food and invite friends and neighbors to celebrate with them. Fasting
during Ramadhan inspires sympathy for the hungry and needy, and encourages
Muslims to donate generously to the poor.
Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of
Sacrifice) is a festival comes about ten weeks after Eid-ul-Fitr, and marks the
completion of Hajj (Holy pilgrimage to Mecca). It is the festival of Sacrifice
that commemorate the obedience of Hadhrat Ibrahim and
his son Hadhrat Ismail to
the commandment of Allah. Hadhrat Ibrahim had
a series of dreams in which he saw himself sacrificing his eldest son Ismail.
He inferred that it was perhaps the will of God that he should sacrifice the
life of his son. Hadhrat Ibrahim, being most obedient to God, was about to
sacrifice the life of his son Ismail, when God commanded him to stop and gave
him the good news that he had indeed fulfilled His command. God was so pleased
with Ibrahim because of his obedience that He multiplied his progeny into
billions. He was also given the great honor of being the forefather of the Holy
Prophet of Islam .
On the day of Eid those Muslims who can afford to sacrifice an animal are
enjoined to do so after Eid Prayer.
Coming
with the new moon, the festival marks the end of 'Ramadan' - a month when
Muslims fast throughout the day and eat only at night Prayers, feasts and
family get- together are the major highlights of the Eid
Ul Fitr celebrations. It was during this month that the holy Koran
was revealed. Eid means recurring happiness or festivity. Eid is celebrated in
India with much enthusiasm and fervor and Muslims from all strata of life can
be seen adorned in beautiful new clothes, visiting the mosques to attend
Salatul Eid (Eid prayers). Greetings of "Eid-Mubarak"
or "a blessed Eid" are exchanged worldwide
A
very important aspect of eid is the charity, which all the Muslims are expected
to extend to the needy. Earlier, this was in the form of gifts in kind but now
cash is given to the needy. The first Eid of the year is known as "Eid Ul
Fitr". Ul Fitr literally means breaking of fast. Thus Eid Ul Fitr is
celebrated on the first day of Shawaal, the tenth
month in the Muslim calendar, to mark the end of a month long fast during the
month of Ramadan.
As
the third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many
special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of
learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction
of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of
ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming
closer to Allah. Ramadan is also a time of concentrated worship, reading of the
Quran, purifying one's behavior, giving charity and doing virtuous deeds.
The
secondary objective of fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing
compassion for the less fortunate, and learn to be thankful and appreciative
for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also advantageous to the health and
provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits.
