Eid ul-Fitr

EID UL-FITR

Eid ul-Fitr is one of the Islamic holidays which marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. The word Eid ul-Fitr (simply abbreviated as "Eid") is taken from the Arabic language; Eid means "to be back" and Fitr means "to break". From these words, it, therefore, symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period and all of sinful habits.

There are certain traditions which are typically held in this day of celebration. A Muslim family gets up earlier to attend special prayer held only in mosques or in large open areas, such as; fields and squares. In general, the prayer is short (composed of two raka'ats) and is followed by a khutba (sermon). Before attending the special congregational prayer, Muslims partake of some dates or a light, sweet snack, to break their past thirty days of Ramadan. Furthermore, every Muslim (including man, woman, and child) must pay Zakat el-Fitr, an alms for the month of Ramadan.

In this joyful celebration, Muslims are encouraged to dress in their best attire. Moreover, visiting friends and relatives are common. The merriment begins after the Eid prayer, all members of the family visit their friends and relatives to renew friendship and family ties as well as to thank to the Creator for all blessings given throughout the previous month. Eid ul-Fitr begins with the sighting of the new moon. It is falling on the first day of Shawwal (the tenth month in the Islamic calendar). So, it is not surprising that there may be regional differences in the exact date of Eid, with some Muslims fasting for 29 and some for 30 days.

In addition, common greetings during this festival are also uttered. It is commonly said: "Eid Mubarak" or "Eid Saeed" (Arabic version, which means "Happy Eid"). People in many parts of Southeast Asia (especially Indonesia and Malaysia) usually greet another Muslim with "Selamat Hari Raya" or "Selamat Idul Fitri", and with "Maaf Zahir dan Batin", which means "I'm sorry physically and spiritually". In fact, Eid ul-Fitr is a day of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, congregation, fellowship, reconciliation, brotherhood and unity.

Let's congregate Takbir altogether:

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar,

La illaha illa Allah,

Wa Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar,

Wa lillah hilhamd.

God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest,

There is no deity but (the One) God,

God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest,

And to Him goes all praise.