“Eid Mubarak” – How is Eid celebrated by Muslims across the Globe
Every year, Muslims across the globe gather to celebrate Eid as the month-long fasting of Ramadan comes to a close. Eid ul-Fitr translates from Arabic as the “festival of breaking the fast” and sees the entire Muslim community come together to celebrate the completion of this annual act of devotion.
Why Muslims celebrate Eid ?
Muslims observing Ramadan have been fasting from dawn to sunset for an entire month. As the days are longer during the summer, Muslims in the UK commonly fast for 18 hours a day.
Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam – along with faith, prayer, charity and the pilgrimage – and gives Muslims a moment to reflect on their spiritual life in honour of the Quran being revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Eid al-Fitr is therefore the celebration marking the end of this solemn period of reassessment.
How do they celebrate?
Traditionally Eid is celebrated for three days and is an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries. While the United States doesn’t observe Edi with any closures or shutdowns, many employers and schools allow time off for Muslim workers and children.
The Eid prayer is performed in congregation in open areas like fields, community centers or at mosques. There is no direct call to prayer given for Eid prayer, but it consists of only two units of prayer with an additional six incantations. The Eid prayer is generally followed by the sermon and the attendees ask Allah for forgiveness, mercy, peace and blessings for everyone in the world.
Eid is a time when Muslims pledge their gratitude to Allah by donating money to various charities and philanthropic efforts. Moreover, the celebration is also considered to be the ideal time for Muslims to forgive those who have wronged them. The idea of spiritual fasting is embraced and correlates with the new leaf the individual is essentially turning over. While the idea of helping those less fortunate is a common thread, it’s also a goal that Muslims aim to keep in check throughout the upcoming season of life.
More than one billion Muslims around the world gather to celebrate Eid. The worship process may seem daunting; however, reviewing it on a step by step process can remove some of the stereotypical connotations and provide a more meaningful explanation on the functionalities of ‘rakat’ (worship).
The First Raka
Action 1: Perform two Rakats behind the Imam for Eid prayer along with six additional Takbirs.
Action 2: After the Imam has said “Allahu Akbar” the first time, you should raise your hands and follow. This is the first Takbir of the prayer.
Action 3: There will be three Takbirs before the Imam begins reciting from the Quran. Each time the Imam says “Allahu Akbar”, you should raise your hands, then place them on your sides. After the third Takbir, the Imam will begin reciting from the Quran. At that point, you should put your hands on your chest, with your right hand on top of the left.
Action 4: Listen to the recitation of the Holy Quran. The Imam will recite Surah Al Fatiha (the first Surah of the Quran) and then another Surah.
Action 5: When the Imam says “Allahu Akbar” go into Ruku – which is the bowing position.
Action 6: Stand up straight when he says Sami Allahu liman Hamidah (translation: Allah hears those who praise Him), and say “Rabbana lakal Hamd” (translation: our Lord praise be to You) in a low voice.
Action 7: When the Imam says “Allahu Akbar” go into Sujud – which is prostration. You will do two prostrations just like a normal prayer.
The Second Raka
Action 8: The Imam will first recite from the Holy Quran.
Action 9: Afterwards, before going into Ruku, there will be three Takbirs. Follow the Imam. Raise your hands after each “Allahu Akbar.” After the third Takbir, go into Ruku – remember, this is the bowing position.
Action 10: Stand up straight when the Imam says, “Sami Allah huliman Hamidah”, and say “Rabbana lakal Hamd” in a low voice.
Action 11: When the Imam says, “Allahu Akbar” go into Sujud. – you will do two prostrations.
Action 12: After this, you sit for the duration of Tashshahud.
Action 13: After the Imam ends the prayer by turning to his face to the right first and saying, “Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah” and then to his left. You should follow suite and repeat.
Action 14: Do not immediately get up. The Imam will provide a short speech. It’s disrespectful not to stay still and listen. Use this time to catch your breath and relax.
In addition, to the charitable donations and mosque gatherings, Muslims rejoice by visiting friends and relatives, hosting food parties and sharing delicious deserts. Usually, children receive new clothes and shoes – some families also gift cash gifts, called eidi, to their elders and relatives. It is forbidden to fast on the Day of Eid.
What one gains from Holy Month
Eid-ul-Fitr can be interpreted as a three-fold blessing –
First it provides one more occasion for the Muslims to thank God and remember His blessings.
Secondly, it affords an opportunity of spiritual stock-taking, after the month of Ramadhan. A Muslim can now ponder over the strength (or weakness) of his will power; he can see, in the mirror of Ramadan, what were the strong (or weak) points of his character, because under the stress of fasting, the hidden qualities (or evils) of human character come to surface in such clear way which is, perhaps, not possible otherwise. Thus a man gets a chance of self-diagnosis of the traits of his character, which probably no one else may ever detect.
Thirdly, it enjoins the well-to -do persons to share a portion of what they have with their poor brethren. On the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, a Muslim is obliged to give to the needy food-stuff at the rate of a prescribed weight, on behalf of himself and of every member of his family, including servants and guests who were sheltered under his roof on that night. It would certainly be pleasing to God if we did not forget these lessons after Eid-ul-Fitr.
How to Wish
Muslims will gather together at the mosque for a prayer, prior to spending the day with friends and family – and wishing one another ‘Eid Mubarak’ or ‘Blessed Eid’. In fact, the standard greeting on this occasion is ‘Eid Mubarak’ which means “have a blessed Eid.” The celebration is the perfect opportunity for the Muslims to thank Allah for helping them get through the month-long fasting during the Ramadan holiday.
Eid al Fitr is a rejoiceful day for Muslims. The day is truly a celebration because it signifies the fruits of their labor and sacrifice that took place during the Ramadan observance. What’s wonderful is the sense of community and unity that Eid brings forth.
