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.
News Network
March 18,2024

crisis.jpg

Mangaluru, Mar 18: The rising temperature has become a growing concern for residents of coastal district of Dakshina Kannada, as the issue of drinking water shortage continues to worsen in several parts. 

Though the water supply of Mangaluru city has not been affected much, nearby urban local bodies, including Ullal, Kotekar, Bajpe and other parts on the outskirts of Mangaluru have been facing an acute shortage of drinking water.

Though the water level in the Thumbe vented dam across Nethravati River has started going down in the last few days, officials have ruled out possibility of rationing the water supply in the city.

According to officials, the water level at Thumbe dam of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) stood at 5.8 m as against the maximum storage capacity of 6m height on March 16. The water level at the dam during the same period last year was 5.3 metres. The water level reduced from 5.9 m on March 15 to 5.8 m on March 16 due to the scorching heat, causing evaporation.

The MCC has been drawing 160 MLD of water from the Thumbe vented dam. According to officials, without inflow, the maximum water stored in the dam will be sufficient for only 50 days. Meanwhile, the MCC has already started pumping backwater from downstream of the Thumbe vented dam back to the dam using pumpsets. Water from Thumbe dam can be drawn only if it has more than 1.5m of water in it.

DC Mullai Muhilan MP said that the district administration is closely monitoring water levels in all the dams that supply water.

The AMR dam located upstream of Thumbe dam has 18 m of water from sea level. If the water level in the Thumbe vented dam recedes, then water from the AMR dam will be released into the Thumbe dam. There is water in a dam at Biliyoor, which is located upstream of the AMR dam, the DC said.

“Drawing water for irrigation purposes from Thumbe and AMR dams has been banned,” the deputy commissioner said, adding that an order in this regard has already been issued. Some of the pockets in rural areas too have started facing water crisis.

“We have made arrangements to supply water through tankers in Ullal, Kotekar and Bajpe areas. We will not introduce water supply rationing in MCC limits for the time being,” he said and appealed to citizens to use water judiciously.

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
March 19,2024

jeddah.jpg

Mangaluru: The Mangalore International Airport (MIA) will connect to a new domestic destination with the introduction of a non-stop flight to Tiruchirappalli International Airport in Tamil Nadu. 

The non-stop service, once-a-week, will operate on Wednesday (from TIA) and Thursday (from MIA), starting April 3. Air India Express will operate the flight.

The flight is expected to help those taking up a pilgrimage to Vailankani shrine.

Sources from the AIE said that the airline carrier decided to fly non-stop between the two southern Indian cities as a flight to Jeddah, which will start from April 3, arrives from Tiruchirappalli International Airport. 

“It is a ferry or positional flight from TIA to MIA. Instead of flying empty, the management has decided to run it as a commercial flight. This will help both passengers and the airline. The airline will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a 186-seater all-economy configuration on this route. 

The same flight, after landing in MIA, will further fly to Jeddah,” a source said. 

The flight IX 1498 will depart every Thursday at 5am from MIA to TIA. The TIA-MIA flight IX 1499 departs at 12.50pm. It is a one-hour nonstop flight. The same flights will also operate nonstop between Jeddah and MIA. 

The non-stop flight IX 499 will depart MIA at 2.50pm and reach King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah at 6.25pm. The IX498, will depart from Jeddah at 7.25pm and reach MIA early at 3.40am.

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
March 28,2024

fire.jpg

Mangaluru, Mar 28: A fish meal factory in the Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru was gutted in a fire incident on Thursday, officials said.

The factory is owned by the company 'Shihar Enterprises', they said.

According to the locals, the fire was first noticed at 4.45 am today, which was immediately reported to the fire department.

The fire engines reached the spot and tried to douse the fire, but it had already spread to other parts of the factory. After almost four hours of fire-fighting operation, the blaze was completely doused, officials.

The reason for the blaze is still being probed, the fire department officials said, adding that they suspect an electric short circuit could have triggered it.

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.