How Should We Celebrate?
Today, Eid ul Fitr has become an occasion of over eating and wastefulness. The essence of this beautiful day has been diluted and subsumed with the superficial and materialistic – sets of expensive new clothes, exchange of goodies between family members, and an intensive competition on which host would serve the best cuisine. In some countries, children even gather from house to house in order to gather cash gifts from the hosts on this day of generosity! Gatherings are dotted with backbiting and empty conversations.
Some interpret the end of Ramadan as a green light to abandon Allah’s commandments and relapse into their bad habits, excesses, addictions and sins, ignoring moderation and God consciousness in the process. Cultures and religion have become entangled. While Islam allows us to infuse elements of culture in our celebrations, such elements should neither take priority nor be incompatible with the original message.
It would be much better for the day to be spent in the remembrance of Allah. One of the easiest ways is to keep repeating the Takbir of Eid throughout the eve and the day of Eid. There are several versions of this, but the original form as reported by Ibn Abass (RA) is as follows:
اللّهُ أكبر اللّهُ أكبر اللّهُ أكبر
Allahu Akbar (3x) IAllah is the Greatest) (3x)
لا إلَهَ الا اللّه
La illaha il Allah (There is no God, but Allah)
اللّهُ أكبر اللّهُ اكبر
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest
و لِلّه الحمدَ
Walilahil Hamd (To Him belongs all Praise)
The above captures the true essence of Eid, of our celebration, and our closeness to Allah, and it is this thanks and remembrance which is the true pinnacle of a successful Ramadan. Surah Al Baqarah states:
“The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion… Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” [Al Qur’an 2:185, excerpt]
Over time, the following were supplemented by the various early scholars and adopted throughout the Muslim world. In some versions, the blessings upon Muhammad SAW and his family are also included:
اللّهُ أكبرُ كَبيِرَا
Allahu Akbaru Kabeera (Allah is the Most Great)
وَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ كَثِيرا
Wal-Hamdulilahi katheera (And all Praise is due to Him)
وَ سُبحَان اللّهِ
Wa Subhan allahi (And Glory to Allah)
بُكرَةً وَأصْيِلا
Bukratan wa aseela (in the early morning and late afternoon)
لا إلَهَ الا اللّه
La illaha il Allah (There is no God, but Allah)
صَدَقَ وَعدَه
Sadaqa wa’dah (He has fulfilled His Promise)
وَنَصَرَ عبده
Wa nasara abda (And made Victorious His servant)
وأعزَ جُنَده
Wa a’azza jundahu (And strengthened His forces)
وَهزم الأحْزَابَ وحْدَه
Wa hazamal-ahzaaba wahdah (And defeated the confederates)
لا إلَهَ الا اللّه
La illaha il Allah (There is no God, But Allah)
وَلا نَعبُد الا أياه
Wa laa na’budu illa iyyah (We do not worship but Him)
مُخلِصِّينَ لَهُ الدّيِنَ
Mukhleseena lahud-deena (With sincere and exclusive devotion)
وَلوْ كَرِهَ الكَافِروُن
Walaw karehal-Kaafiroon (Even though the idolaters hate it)
لا إلَهَ الا اللّه
La illaha il Allah (There is no God, But Allah)
و لِلّه الحمدَ
Walilahil hamd (To Him belongs all Praise).
This is also a time for visiting the ill, mending bridges with relatives and friends for the sake of Allah, and even making supplications for and visiting the dead. We should avoid immersing ourselves back into the material life or let our month of labouring for the sake of Allah go to waste. Although Ramadan has passed, the positive values and habits that we had acquired up along the way should be safeguarded. Don’t allow our spiritual discipline to diminish, ignore Allah’s advice or take on the path advocated by Shaitan – indulgence, ostentation, wastefulness, and forgetting Allah. This would not be a fitting end to the month of devotion and sacrifice, and to do so would be a huge loss for us.
We Can do Better!
Remember the multiple bounties awaiting you on Eid ul Fitr. The opportunity only comes once a year. If your previous celebrations of Eid ul Fitr have not included the above elements, take this as a chance to do things differently this year. The wonderful nature of the resilient human spirit is that we can always do better, and achieve higher than we ever thought possible. There is nothing you can do over how you have celebrated in the past, but there is plenty you can do in going forward.
For the sake of our own goodness, peace, tranquillity and well being in this life and in the hereafter, we should grab this amazing opportunity, respect and value it instead of letting it pass us by.
This is why we say “Allahu Akbar” repeatedly on the eve and day of Eid. Allah is the greatest, He is greater than myself, my spouse and my children. We subordinate all our desires for Allah, for all we need to have with us is Allah. If we can achieve this connection with Allah, and gain His pardon, it will be the best Eid ever.
