By
Abdulrazaq Yusuf B2K

In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful. To him belong all praises and adorations. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the noble Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his household, his companions and every single one of his Ummah till the Day of Judgement. Ameen.

It is indeed obvious that the Holy month of Ramadan is about to end; may Allah see us through and not deny us the blessings therein. It is a fact of common shared knowledge that the most anticipated event after Ramadan is the "Eid-ul-fitr".


'Eid' in its literal meaning refers to ‘celebration. On that day, the Muslims celebrate, exchange gifts and foods; and spread happiness.
There are a few reasons people celebrate Eid-ul-fitr, It could be because it is a blessing from Allah as a reward for observing fast for a whole month as it is one of the revered and obligatory pillars of the religion, or it could be because it is an occasion where Muslims express love for one another and spread joy all over the globe. However, what is apparent with Eid is the sacred calmness in the
atmosphere that people wake up to and the general
enthusiasm that sways between looking forward to
wearing your best clothes, feasting and the congregational voluntary prayer that brings
Muslims together in the mid-morning hours. Asides
observing what is Sunnah to the Muslims, it
strengthens the religious and spiritual bonds of brotherhood. Besides the few reasons, there are particular manners in which a Muslim should celebrate the Eid as derived from the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which include the following;

Giving Zakat-ul-Fitr; one should not limit the happiness to oneself for eid is all about sharing and celebrating with others. If happiness to a Muslim (as given by Allah)is wearing good clothes, eating healthy food and being able to visit places on the occasions of joy, then Islam recommends that people who have (not necessarily people of high social status ) should give out some certain quantity of foodstuff on the day of Eid-ul-fitr in form of Zakat of fitr. It is the charity or almsgiving which a Muslim has to be given out a day or two before the Eid-ul-fitr prayer as it demonstrated by the Prophet for it wipes blemishes off the observed fasts. However, the recommended time is to offer it between fajr and Eid prayer. The giving of alms to the poor before the Eid prayer gives them the chance to celebrate the Eid in a like manner with the average and fortunate people of the Ummah, in that no member of society is left behind in the celebrations irrespective of their social and financial status. This is aimed at making the love and happiness circulate the atmosphere.

Eat Before You Set Out For the Eid Prayer : Eating before setting out for prayer on Eid day is a tradition of prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Having fasted for a month, the prophet recommends that we take breakfast on the day of Eid for it is not a day to fast but a day to eat, drink and share happiness.

Ritual Bath and Nice Dress : Many celebrations if not every requires preparation and dressing. This is also applicable to Eid. Performing spiritual bath is compulsory on Eid day for Muslims who have attained the stage of puberty. However, wearing one's best dress on the day of Eid-ul-fitr is also a Sunnah of the prophet (PBUH) and it represents the measures Muslims should take as regards the Eid festival. It is advised that the male applies some perfume over their dress while the women are allowed to use their favorite jewelry under their dress.
However, with the outburst of trends, many persons get overwhelmed and go out of their way during Eid to dress indecently in the name of celebration which is
against the rulings of Islam.
Consequently, we end up having our homes and streets filled with young people,
mostly women, wearing ridiculous dresses that expose the bodies and attract the wrath of Allah (S. W. T).
The guardians of women and children must fear
Allah with regards to those who are under their
care, they must ensure that they dress
decently.

The Eid Prayer : The Eid festival is special, thus, has special prayer. The offering of Eid prayer is compulsory, hence every Muslim (except female in a state of impurity) must make effort of offering the prayer with congregation. After dressing up properly, a Muslim must make sure they go to a Eid ground to offer the Eid prayer with a congregation. No Nawafil is observed once you get to that ground, neither is it observed once you're through. Why?! Because Eid prayer itself is a Nawafil. Those Who cannot pray are encouraged to go to the Eid ground to listen to the Khutbah (sermon).

Use of Alternative Routes : The celebration of Eid-ul-fitr encompasses all the traditions observed by the prophet (SAW) with love and joy is all. As Muslims, we must take a leaf out of the life of prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for he is the best example. As per his Sunnah, he would take one route towards the mosque for prayer and would come back through another route. This changing of routes ensures that a Muslim meets and greets people living on the sides of both routes.

Chanting of Takbeer : Allahu Akbar(2/3*) Laa Ilaha Illa Allah, Allahu Akbar(2/3*), Wa Lillah Il hamd.
It is mustahab to recite the takbeer during the night of Eid from sunset on the last day of Ramadan. As we set out for the Eid ground, we should ensure we chant this as we move and even when we get there until the Imam comes to lead the prayer.

Apart from the above manners in which we are expected to celebrate Eid, we must be cautious of how we celebrate Eid on that day. We must not go to the extreme nor should we be too excessive in our celebrations. We must avoid celebrating with whatever is forbidden in Islam as well as refrain from Haram acts. Celebrating Eid in a forbidden manners is tantamount to demolishing our edifice of good deeds which we strove and toiled to build in the Holy Month. We must fear Allah in our conducts on this day for the Prophet S.A.W is reported to have said that "Whoever offends Allah on the day of Eid is like one who offends Allah on the day of judgement."

In conclusion, it is evident that Eid-ul-fitr is a Holy festival like other occasions and festivals in Islam. So, it needs to be observed with peace, love and respect. However, the best way to doing this is by following strictly the Sunnah of prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with respect to the celebration of Eid and doing the same way he used to do on this day in words as well as in actions.

EID MUBARAK