Anas ibn Mālik said:
قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ وَلَهُمْ يَوْمَانِ يَلْعَبُونَ فِيهِمَا فَقَالَ: “مَا هَذَانِ الْيَوْمَانِ”؟ قَالُوا: كُنَّا نَلْعَبُ فِيهِمَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: “إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَبْدَلَكُمْ بِهِمَا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمَا يَوْمَ الأَضْحَى وَيَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ”.
“When the Prophet ﷺ arrived at Madina, he saw that they celebrated two days. He asked: ‘What are these two days?’ He was told: ‘We used to enjoy ourselves during them before Islam’. He said: ‘Allah ﷻ has replaced them with what is better; the day of al-Aḍḥa and the day of Fiṭr.’” [1]
On the occasion of Eid, I encourage every family to consider the following messages.
1: Promote
Happiness
We are told that if we want to live a happy life, to not tie it to people or things, but to a goal. Eid al-Fitr is a yearly reminder that you have accomplished a huge goal; which other nation fasted for 30 consecutive days like you did? Which other community stood in prayer in a nightly fashion for a month like you did? What other nation gave charity the way you did? Furthermore, which Ummah is promised the love, forgiveness and paradise of Allah ﷻ other than yours?
When Abu Bakr saw people gathered in the house of the Prophet ﷺ, including two children who were singing innocently in celebration of Eid, he protested. The Prophet ﷺ, however, told him:
يا أبا بكر، إنّ لكل قوم عيدًا، وهذا عيدنا
“O Abu Bakr, every nation has an Eid, and this is our Eid.”[2]
The root of the Arabic word Eid is from عَوَدَ / ‘awada, which refers to something that continues to return. Ibn al-Aʿrābī said:
سمّي عيدًا لأنّه يعود كلّ سنة بفرح متجدد
“Eid was given this name because it returns (yaʿūd) each year with renewed happiness.”[3]
Yesterday, eating was impermissible, and fasting was the obligation. Today, fasting is impermissible, and breaking it is the obligation. That is because Allah intends joy for you on this day. After all, countless Muslims – during Ramadan –unchained their necks from the yokes of hell, many worshipped Allah on a night that added over 83 years’ worth of good deeds to their lives, and many are now such that nothing stands between them and paradise but death. These, undoubtedly, are causes of celebration and joy.
As a head of your household, parent or older sibling, shift things around and create a vibe this Eid; share gifts, spend on your family, be all smiles, establish contact with each and every relative of yours around the globe, and change the atmosphere of your home. If you want to spoil your family, let Eid be the day you do.
2:
Mother & Father
before anyone else
When considering your Eid greetings and whom you will spend time with this Eid, ensure that your list of people is crowned with two individuals; whose love of you is unconditional, whose care for you only grows with the passage of time, and whose health and wellbeing are intrinsically connected to yours: your mother and father.
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saying:
جُئِتُ أُبايعك على الهجرة وتركتُ أبويَّ يبكيان
“I have come to pledge allegiance to you to migrate and have left my parents weeping.” He replied:
[4]ارجع إليهما فأضحكهما كما أبكيتهما
“Go back to your parents and make them smile the same way you made them weep.”
So, when speaking about promoting happiness, the very first recipients of it must be your parents. After all, when the Prophet ﷺ was asked: “Which deeds are most beloved to Allah?” He responded: “Praying on time”. He was asked: “Then what?” He replied: “Being good to your parents.”[5]
All Muslims will fulfil the first part of this ḥadīth, performing their Eid prayer on time. So, as you walk out of the prayer space, fulfil the second part; bring joy to your parents.
3: “Fear Allah and
reconcile
between yourselves”
This[6] was Allah’s ﷻ instruction to the Companions who quarrelled after the battle of Badr, and it is the same instruction that we reiterate on the day of Eid; fear Allah ﷻ and reconcile between yourselves and your parents, siblings, cousins, spouses and friends. This Ramadan, we have degraded shayṭān’s control over us. So, on this day of Eid, do not allow it to recover, and hammer in the last nail to his coffin by initiating a sincere communication of salām (greetings) to those who need to hear it. After that, sit back and await the promise[7] of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
ثَلَاثٌ أُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِنَّ: مَا نَقَصَ مَالٌ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ، وَمَا زَادَ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا بِعَفْوٍ إِلَّا عِزا، وَمَنْ تَوَاضَعَ لِلَّهِ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ
“There are three things which I swear must happen: (1) Wealth does not decrease when given in charity, (2) Allah increases those who pardon in dignity, (3) whoever humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah will raise him.”
Voluntary amnesia is what we want on this day, a partial memory loss that liberates our souls from previous fall outs and the pain of past events. On this day, there is no space for feuds, no place for ill feelings, no such thing as not being on talking terms with another Muslim, and “the best of the two who have fallen out is he who initiates the salām.”[8]
4: An Eid filled with sin is not to be celebrated but
mourned
Speaking about Ramadan, Allah ﷻ said:
وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“Allah ﷻ wants you to complete the prescribed period, and to proclaim the greatness of Allah ﷻ for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful.”[9]
On the day of Eid, we do just that: proclaim the greatness of Allah ﷻ. Our fasting testified that Allah ﷻ, to us, is greater than our appetites. Our prayer at night proved that Allah ﷻ, to us, is greater than our sleep. Our charity was evidence that Allah ﷻ, to us, is greater than our worldly attachments. Our distance from sin was witness that Allah ﷻ, to us, is greater than our urges. But now that we have arrived at Eid, we have one more claim to prove; that Allah, to us, will remain the greatest throughout the rest of the year, and to prove to Him that we were never worshippers of a month that passes, but worshippers of its Lord who remains.
On Eid, happiness takes centre stage, and rightly so. Some, however, are worthier of this happiness than others.
Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī said:[10]
ليس العيد لمن لبس الجديد، إنما العيد لمن طاعاته تزيد، ليس العيد لمن تجمل باللباس والركوب، إنما العيد لمن غفرت له الذنوب
“Eid is not for those who wears new clothes. It is for those whose worship increases. Eid is not for those who beatify themselves with garments and riding animals. It is for those whose sins are forgiven.”
If your Eid will be defined by music, smoking, an abuse of the ḥijāb, mingling with non-mahrams, the missing of ṣalāh, and a prompt reunification with previous sins, then it is not Eid that you are celebrating, as Eid is, at its core, a religious celebration of gratitude for Allah’s ﷻ help in completing Ramadan and earning His pardon. No, in reality, you are in fact celebrating your personal desires and they have nothing to do with Eid.
The Lord for whom you reshuffled your life during the month of Ramadan is also the very same Lord of the months of Shawwāl, Dhū al-Qaʿdah, Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and the rest of the months of the year. So, beware of razing the fortress of īmānthat you have constructed in Ramadan by returning to your previous ways, as Allah ﷻ said:
أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ
“Obey Allah ﷻ and obey His messenger ﷺ and do not invalidate your good deeds.”[11]
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنْكَاثًا
“Do not be like her who undoes the thread which she had spun, after it had become strong…”[12]
One of Sufyān al-Thawrī’s friends said:[13]
خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ يَوْمَ عِيدٍ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا نَبْدَأُ بِهِ فِي يَوْمِنَا هَذَا غَضُّ الْبَصَرِ
“I walked with Sufyān on the day of Eid and he said, ‘The first thing that we will begin this day of ours with is the lowering of the gaze.’”
There are some unfortunate ones who only experience Eid twice a year. The blessed, however, celebrate it every day of their lives, because on each day they are adding an act of worship, blotting out a sin, refining their morals and planning projects for their hereafter. As a result, they lead happy lives, celebrate on each and every day and leap in excitement at the prospect of finally meeting Allah ﷻ.
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said:[14]
كل يوم لا يعصى الله فيه فهو عيد، وكل يوم يقطعه المؤمن في طاعة مولاه وذكره وشكره فهو له عيد
“Each day which passes where Allah ﷻ is not disobeyed is a day of Eid. Each day which one spends in the obedience, gratitude and remembrance of Allah ﷻ is a day of Eid.”
When urged to return back to a prohibited relationship that you had previously ended in Ramadan, or a habit that you had silenced in Ramadan, or a detachment from the masjid that you had resolved in Ramadan, or a laziness that you overcame in Ramadan, remember the contract that you signed with Allah and the promise you gave Him on this day of Eid as you declared:
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha ila Allāh, Allāhu akbar, allahu akbar wa lillāhil ḥamd
Your pledges to Allah ﷻ in Ramadan did not expire with Eid. This day marks their start.
5: Remind your family of the
Grandest Eid
that awaits
If this is our joy and sense of satisfaction after just 30 days’ worth of sacrifice, what then of the joy of the believer as he stands before the gates of paradise after a lifetime’s worth of toil and sacrifice? Indeed, there is a time and place for everything. On Eid, it is the time and place to recall the prize of sacrifice: Jannah.
After the believers have finally put behind themselves, life and its struggles, death and its pangs, the grave and its squeeze, the judgement and its terror, they now find themselves gaping at al-Rayyān, the enormous gate of paradise that is exclusive to the people of fasting. All it takes is a knock by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ before the majestic gates start swinging open. At this incredible moment, visions fall on what no eye has ever seen, on what no ear has ever heard, and on what no heart could ever imagine. It has happened. The promise of Allah was true. They are now home.
As they leap in joy and run to their estates, an announcement echoes throughout the meadows of Jannah:[15]
إنَّ لَكُمْ أنْ تَحْيَوْا ، فَلاَ تَمُوتُوا أَبَداً ، وإنَّ لَكُمْ أنْ تَصِحُّوا ، فلا تَسْقَمُوا أبداً ، وإنَّ لَكمْ أنْ تَشِبُّوا فلا تَهْرَمُوا أبداً ، وإنَّ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَنْعَمُوا ، فَلاَ تَبْأسُوا أَبَداً
“You shall be given life, never will you die again; you shall be healthy, never will you fall sick again; you shall be given youth, never will you grow old again; you will be in bliss, never will you be miserable again.”
Lavish food, fine wine, 24-hour service, extended shade, flowing rivers, pearl pavilions, gorgeous spouses, laughing appearances, angelic reception, meeting of prophets, endless joys, and—above all—a Lord who is pleased; this is Jannah. Who better to describe Jannah than its Maker, who said:
فَوَقَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّىٰهُمْ نَضْرَةًۭ وَسُرُورًۭا
“So, Allah ﷻ will save them from the horror of that Day, and grant them radiance and joy.”
وَجَزَىٰهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ جَنَّةًۭ وَحَرِيرًۭا
“And He will reward them for their patience with gardens and silk.”
مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ ۖ لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْسًۭا وَلَا زَمْهَرِيرًۭا
“There they will be reclining on couches, never seeing scorching heat or bitter cold.”
وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَـٰلُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلًۭا
“The Garden’s shade hovers over them, and its fruit will be made very easy to reach.”
وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِـَٔانِيَةٍۢ مِّن فِضَّةٍۢ وَأَكْوَابٍۢ كَانَتْ قَوَارِيرَا۠
“And passed to them are silver vessels and glasses of crystal.”
قَوَارِيرَا۟ مِن فِضَّةٍۢ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيرًۭا
“Clear glasses made from silver which they fill as they please.”
وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْسًۭا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلًا
“And they will be given a drink of wine flavoured with ginger”
عَيْنًۭا فِيهَا تُسَمَّىٰ سَلْسَبِيلًۭا
“From a fountain there in paradise, called Salsabīl.”
وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَٰنٌۭ مُّخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًۭا مَّنثُورًۭا
“They will be served by immortal youths. If you saw them, you would think they were scattered pearls.”
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًۭا وَمُلْكًۭا كَبِيرًا
“And if you were to look there in paradise, you would see ˹indescribable˺ bliss and a vast kingdom.”
عَـٰلِيَهُمْ ثِيَابُ سُندُسٍ خُضْرٌۭ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٌۭ ۖ وَحُلُّوٓا۟ أَسَاوِرَ مِن فِضَّةٍۢ وَسَقَىٰهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَابًۭا طَهُورًا
“They will wear clothing of fine green silk and rich brocade, and beautified with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.”
إِنَّ هَـٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمْ جَزَآءًۭ وَكَانَ سَعْيُكُم مَّشْكُورًا
“All this is a reward for you and your effort has been appreciated.”[16]
Then, the greatest moment in all of time will arrive: the time for the creation to finally meet the Creator, for the worshippers to meet the worshipped. What are the details of such a moment? The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِذَا دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى تُرِيدُونَ شَيْئًا أَزِيدُكُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ أَلَمْ تُبَيِّضْ وُجُوهَنَا أَلَمْ تُدْخِلْنَا الْجَنَّةَ وَتُنَجِّنَا مِنْ النَّارِ قَالَ فَيَكْشِفُ الْحِجَابَ فَمَا أُعْطُوا شَيْئًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ النَّظَرِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
“When the people of paradise have entered the paradise, Allah ﷻ will ask them, ‘Is there anything else which I can give you?’ They will reply: ‘Have You not illuminated our faces? Have You not brought us into the Garden and saved us from the Fire?’ Then, the veil is removed, and of everything given to them nothing will be dearer to them than seeing their Lord, the Mighty and Glorious.”[17]
Source: Islam21c
Notes:
[1] Abū Dāwūd
[2] Al-Bukhārī and Muslim, on the authority of ʿᾹʾishah
[3] Al-Azharī
[4] Abū Dāwūd, on the authority of ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr
[5] Al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd
[6] Al-Qur’an, 8:1
[7] Muslim, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah
[8] Al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Abū Ayyūb
[9] Al-Baqarah, 2:185
[10] Laṭā’if al-maʿārif
[11] 47:33
[12] 16:92
[13] Ibn Abī al-Dunyā, Al-Wara’
[14] Laṭā’if al-maʿārif
[15] Muslim, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah
[16] 76:11-22
[17] Muslim, on the authority of Suhayb
Mashallah !!Alhumdulilla beautiful Reminders Made my eyes tearful may Allah Subhanwutallah reward you highly Inshallah for all the beautiful reminders that we have been receiving Ameen. JAZZAKALLAHU KHAIRYN .