‘Īdul-Fiṭr

At the end of Ramaḍān, after the fasting of Ramaḍān had been ordained, the Holy Prophet(sa) issued the injunction of Ṣadaqatul-Fiṭr, according to divine command. Every Muslim who possessed the capacity to do so, was enjoined to contribute one Sā‘1 of dates, grapes, barley or wheat, etc., per person on behalf of himself, his family and dependents, as charity prior to ‘Īd. This charity was distributed among the poor, needy, orphans and widows, etc., so that this may serve as an expiation for any lapses which may have occurred during the worship of fasting and a means of aid may be arranged for the poor on the occasion of ‘Īd. As such, according to the command of the Holy Prophet(sa), prior to every ‘Īd at the end of Ramaḍān, Ṣadaqatul-Fiṭr was formally collected from every young and old Muslim man and woman, and distributed among the orphans, poor and needy.

It was in this very year that ‘Īdul-Fiṭr began as well. In other words, the Holy Prophet(sa) ordered that upon the completion of the month of Ramaḍān, the Muslims should celebrate ‘Īd on the first of Shawwāl. This ‘Īd was in the joy that Allāh the Exalted had granted them the ability to offer worship in Ramaḍān. However, it is immensely fascinating that even for the expression of this joy, the Holy Prophet(sa) prescribed a worship. As such, he ordered that on the day of ‘Īd, all the Muslims should congregate in an open space and offer two Rak‘āt of Ṣalāt. Then, after this Ṣalāt, the Muslims should of course, express their outwardly joy as well, because when the soul experiences joy, it is a right for the body to partake of it as well. In actuality, Allāh the Almighty has placed an ‘Īd at the end of all those significant forms of worship which are observed collectively. The ‘Īd of the Ṣalāt is the Friday Prayer service, which arrives after the observance of Ṣalāt for one week. This has been referred to as the most superior of all the festivals of ‘Īd. Then, the ‘Īd of fasting is ‘Īdul-Fiṭr, which arrives at the close of Ramaḍān. The ‘Īd of Ḥajj is ‘Īdul-Aḍḥā, which is celebrated on the second day of Ḥajj. All of these festivals of ‘Īd are a form of worship in themselves. Therefore, the festivals of ‘Īd in Islām possess a wonderful magnificence, and substantial light is shed upon the reality of Islām. One receives an opportunity to contemplate as to how Islām wishes to bind every action of the Muslims to the remembrance of Allāh. I am compelled to digress from history, otherwise I would elaborate as to how Islām has leavened every movement, statement and action of a Muslim, with the remembrance of God. This is to such an extent that even in daily tasks of minor importance, such as standing and sitting, moving about, sleeping and awakening, eating and drinking, bathing, changing one’s clothes, wearing shoes, leaving and entering the home, leaving or returning from a journey, selling or buying something, ascending or descending from a height, entering or exiting the Mosque, meeting a friend, encountering an enemy, seeing the new moon, approaching one’s wife, thus, in one way or another, the commencement and completion of every single task has been tied to the remembrance of Allāh, - even upon sneezing and yawning.2 In such a state of affairs, if the idolaters of Arabia referred to the Holy Prophet(sa), (who brought this teaching, but with regards to whom, the disbelievers thought that he had crafted this teaching of his own accord), as having gone mad in the love of God, then this was not surprising. It is true that for a worldly man, these things would appear to be nothing but madness. However, a person who has understood the reality of his own being, knows that this is the very essence of life.