For whom is the Eid?

 

Dear brother! We have sent off the month of Ramadhan, with its virtuous days and nights full (of worship), in which those doomed to win have attained mercy and forgiveness, and emancipation from the fire of Hell; and those doomed to lose have lost because of sins and disobedience. By my life! Who among us (whose deed) is accepted (by Allah), so that we would congratulate him, and who among us is driven away (from the mercy of Allah) so that we would console him?

 

 

The worship in the Eid

 

Eid is not, as falsely thought by a lot of people, a useless time to be vainly wasted in diversion, play and heedlessness. On the contrary, Eid has been ordained to celebrate Allah Almighty and demonstrate His favors on His servants, praise Him Almighty by them, and be grateful to Him for them. He Almighty commanded His servants, on completing the number (of fasts) to glorify Him, and be grateful to Him, as stated in His saying (what means): “and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” [Al-Baqarah 2:185]

 

{وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ} البقرة: 185

 

Transliteration: walitukmiloo alAAiddata walitukabbiroo Allaha AAala ma hadakum walaAAallakum tashkuroona

 

To be grateful to Him Who conferred favors upon His servants, that He enabled them to fast, helped them do it perfectly, forgave for them their sins because of it, and released them from the fire (of Hell), is to remember Him, give thanks to Him, and fear Him as He should be feared.

 

“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illallah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lil-lahil-hamd” (Allah is greater, Allah is greater, and there is no deity but Allah. Allah is greater, Allah is greater, and all perfect praise be to Allah).

 

According to Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al ‘Uthaimin: “A lot of people waste their times of Eid in nightly parties, popular dancing, diversion and play, perhaps on the account of performing the prayers at their due times, or in congregation, as if they like to efface the good traces of Ramadhan from themselves, if there is any, and rather renew their pledge with Satan, who is almost left during the month of Ramadhan.”

 

Servants of Allah! The Eid is a means of gratitude and not wickedness. So, guard your children and brothers, and take heed of the clothes of your wives, daughters and sisters prepared for the Eid, and make it compulsory upon them to put on the Shari‘ah-accepted clothing, and give no concession to any violation of Islam in those clothes, and help the youths of this ummah lower their sights and guard their private parts (from the unlawful).

 

It is out of a servant’s gratitude to his Lord, for He has enabled him to fast the month of Ramadhan, helped him do it perfectly, and forgave for him his sins, to fast after Ramadhan six days in the month of Shawwal, thereby regarded to have fasted the whole year, due to the statement of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “He, who fasts (the month of) Ramadhan, followed by six days from Shawwal, is regarded to fast perpetually.” [Muslim]

 

«من صام رمضان ثم أتبعه ستا من شوال كان كصيام الدهر» رواه مسلم ‏

 

 

For whom is the Eid?

 

Dear brother! The Eid is the season of delight and pleasure. The delights and pleasures of faithful believers in this world should be with their Lord and Creator, when they win (the privilege of) obeying Him perfectly, and attain the reward of their deeds, out of His bounty and forgiveness, as confirmed by Him Almighty (what means): “Say, "In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy - in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate."” [Yunus 10:58]

 

{قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ} يونس: 58

 

Transliteration: Qul bifadli Allahi wabirahmatihi fabithalika falyafrahoo huwa khayrun mimma yajmaAAoona

 

The Eid then is for him who obeys Allah, and grief is the share of him who disobeys Him. The Eid is for him who fasts its days perfectly, and spends its nights standing (in prayer and remembrance of Allah). The Eid is for him who spends the nights in recitation of the Qur’an, rather than in songs and melodies.

 

One of the righteous predecessors said: “None has ever rejoices with anything other than Allah except the heedless with his heedlessness of Allah Almighty. The heedless rejoices with his diversion and inclination, whereas the rational rejoices with his Lord Almighty.”

 

According to Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy upon him: “Every day on which Allah Almighty is not disobeyed is an Eid; and every day a faithful believers spends in the obedience, remembrance of, and gratitude to his Lord is an Eid for him.”

 

My brothers! Eid is not for him who puts on the new clothes: Eid is for him whose obedience of Allah increases day after day. The Eid is not for him who gets adorned with smart clothing and graceful vehicle: the Eid is for him whose sins are forgiven for him. The Eid is not for him who has much money: the Eid is for him who obeys Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver.

 

O one who rejoices in the Eid with beautifying his clothing, and although he is certain of death, he has not yet got ready for its severity, and is deceived by his brothers, fellows and sitters, as if he feels secure from its possibly stealthy attack: how should one get the comfort of his eye in the Eid, who is driven away from righteousness? How should one smile, who is deprived of prosperity? How should one be pleased, who persists in the shameful deeds? How should he not weep, whom the abundant profits have escaped?

 

 

Beware of heedlessness

 

A religious scholar saw how the people were heedless and engaged in food, drink and clothes on the day of Eid Al-Fitr, thereupon he said: “If those were told by Allah Almighty that He had accepted from them their fasting and standing (at night in prayer), they then should have been in the morning engaged in giving thanks to Him; and if they feared lest their deeds might not be accepted from them, they should have been more busy (in prayer for forgiveness and mercy)!”

 

 

Eating the lawful

 

Abu Bakr Al-Marwazi said: I visited Abu Bakr Ibn Muslim on the day of Eid Al-Fitr and there was a little carob in front of him which he was filing (with his teeth). I said to him: “O Abu Bakr! Today is the day of Eid Al-Fitr and you are eating carob!” he said: “Do not consider that. But rather consider what I would say if He asks me: ‘From where have you brought that?”

 

 

Lowering the sight

 

One of the companions of Sufyan Ath-Thawri said: “I came out in the company of Sufyan on an Eid day and he said: “The first thing to begin with is to reduce our sights (from what is unlawful).”

 

Hassan Ibn Abi Sinan returned home on the Eid day thereupon his wife asked him: “How many beautiful women have you seen?” he said: “I have not let my gaze go beyond my thumb since I came out until I returned.”

 

 

Zakat Al-Fitr

 

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, that he said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, enjoined Zakat Al-Fitr (the alms of finishing from the fasts) of Ramadhan, which is a Sa‘ of dates or a Sa‘ of barley, upon every Muslim, be he slave or free, male or female, young or old.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

«فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر، صاعا من تمر أو صاعا من شعير، على العبد والحر، والذكر والأنثى، والصغير والكبير، من المسلمين» متفق عليه

 

Zakat Al-Fitr is a mean to purify the fasting person from falsehood and obscenity, and bring about delight and pleasure upon the poor on the Eid day. It is obligatory on the rational free Muslim, as well as on those whose maintenance is due on him (as he should give it on their behalf).

 

As for the due time of giving it, it is preferable to give it in the morning of the Eid day, before the prayer, and it is permissible for one to give it a day or two before the Eid. But it is impermissible to delay it after the Eid prayer, and whoever delays it after the Eid prayer, it would not be accepted from him.

 

The Eids of the believers

 

When the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, arrived in Medina, they had two days on which they used to play. On that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to them: “No doubt, Allah Almighty has recompensed you with two better days: the day of Al-Fitr (after finishing the fasts of Ramadhan) and the day of Al-Adha (Sacrifice on 10th of Thul-Hijjah).” [Ahmad and An-Nasa’i]

 

«إن الله أبدلكم يومين خيراً منهما؛ يوم الفطر ويوم الأضحى» رواه أحمد والنسائي

 

There is a third Eid which reoccurs every week, i.e. Friday. The believers have no further Eids in this world other than those three.

 

 

The innovated Eids

 

Whereas it has been decided that the Muslim Eids are only those three, then, anything else named Eid is innovated, like the Persian New Year's Day, the day of Festival, the Christmas, the Prophetic Mawlid, Shamm An-Nasim, the Mother’s Day, etc: it is unlawful for a Muslim to celebrate or take part in or congratulate anyone about those days, due to their being innovated, abrogated, or, in some, belonging to disbelievers like those of the Jews, Christians and others.

 

 

Etiquettes and rulings on the Eid day

 

1- It is unlawful to observe fast on the Eid day, due to the Hadith narrated on the authority of Abu SaEid Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade fasting on two days: the day of Al-Fitr and the day of An-Nahr. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

«نهى عن صيام يومين: يوم الفطر ويوم النحر» متفق عليه واللفظ لمسلم

 

2- It is valid, under Shari‘ah, to recite Takbir on the night prior to the Eid day, beginning from the sunset of that night until the Eid prayer. It is favorable that men should raise their voices with Takbir in the mosques, markets, streets and houses, out of acknowledgement of servitude (of people to Allah), and demonstration of delight and pleasure.

 

3- There is no blame that Muslims should congratulate each other about the Eids, as it is one of the noble manners.

 

4- It is favorable to enlarge sustenance on the family and children in food, drink and clothes, but without extravagance or lavishness; and it is favorable to maintain kinship ties, and exchange visits between the relations, kinsmen and brothers (in the religion of Allah).

 

5- It is due to maintain and not waste the Eid prayer. It is out of sunnah to delay the prayer of Eid Al-Fitr, in order that the Muslims would be able to distribute Zakat Al-Fitr.

 

6- It is favorable to take ritual bath before the Eid prayer, apply perfume and get adorned with the best of clothes, provided that men should beware of letting their garments hang down (on the ground), which is prohibited.

 

7- It is out of sunnah to eat before the prayer of Eid Al-Fitr, and to bring out women and girls, and even the menstruating among them to witness the Eid with the Muslims, but the menstruating women should keep away from the praying place.

 

8- It is out of sunnah to come out to the Eid prayer on foot and return from a way different from that in which one has gone, in order that both ways along with their angels would be witnesses to him on the Day of Judgment.

 

9- The Eid prayer consists of two rak‘ahs: the first is inaugurated with seven Takbirs, other than the Takbir of assuming the prayer; and the second with five Takbirs other than the Takbir of standing. When the prayer is concluded after finishing from the two rak‘ahs, with Taslim, the Imam should stand and deliver two Khutbahs, with a short interval between them in which he sits, as is the case with the Friday Khutbah.

 

10- No supererogatory prayer is valid under Shari‘ah to be offered before or after the Eid prayer.

 

11- It is favorable to come out to the praying place outside the town to perform the Eid prayer, and not to pray it in the mosques, for the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did so, and did not take a pulpit in the Eid praying place.

 

 

Violations committed on the Eid day

 

1- To spend the night prior to Eid in prayer, standing and recitation of the Qur’an, out of belief that it is superior to other nights.

 

2- To keep sleepless on the night prior to Eid, which leads to missing the Fajr and Eid prayers.

 

3- To allow for men and women to mix together in the Eid praying place or anywhere else; and for women to come out to the praying place in their full adornment, unlawful display of beauty and perfume.

 

4- To receive the Eid with singing, dancing and evildoings, under claim of demonstrating delight and pleasure.

 

5- To specify the Eid day to visiting the graves and supplication for the dead.

 

6- To be extravagant and lavish even in permissible things.

 

O one who decided to commit sins in Shawwal! Do you worship the month (of Ramadhan) or the Lord of the month? Woe to you! The Lord of both months (Ramadhan and Shawwal) is the same. You say (to yourself): “Let me make amends in Ramadhan, and corruption in any month else.” But even, your decision in Ramadhan to slip in Shawwal invalidates for you (the fruits of your deeds in) Ramadhan.

 

Whoever worships Ramadhan, it should be known to him that Ramadhan has been over; and whoever worships the Lord of Ramadhan, it should be known to him that He is abiding forever.

 

Dear brother:

 

If your soul induces you to commit sins and evildoings in Shawwal, then, remind it of your standing in front of Allah, the Magnificent, the Supreme, on the day the heads would become hoary because of terrors; perchance this would curb your inclinations and desires.

 

May Allah send blessing and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his family and Companions.

 

 

Khaled Abu Saleh