Eid Ul-Fitr
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- Category: History: Religion
- Date Submitted: 04/02/2012 02:33 PM
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Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr), often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm). Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast". The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The first day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month Shawwal.
Eid-ul-Fitr has a particular salah (Islamic prayer) consisting of two raka'ah (units) and generally offered in an open field or large hall. It may only be performed in congregation (Jama’at) and has an additional extra six Takbirs (raising of the hands to the ears while saying "Allah-u-Akbar" [God is Great]), three of them in the beginning of the first raka'ah and three of them just before ruku' in the second raka'ah in the Hanafi school. This Eid ul-Fitr salah is, depending on which juristic opinion is followed, Fard (obligatory), Mustahabb (strongly recommended, just short of obligatory) or mandoob (preferable).
Muslims believe that they are commanded by God, as mentioned in the Qur'an, to continue their fast until the last day of Ramadan and pay the Zakat al-fitr before doing the Eid prayer.
History:
Before the advent of Islam in Arabia, there is mention of Eid festivals as yawm al-sab‘ and yawm al-sabasab as well as some others among the Arabs. The Israelites had festivals as well but as is evident from the Old Testament and other scriptures, these festivals related more to commemorating certain days of their history.
The Eid al-fitr was originated by Islamic prophet Muhammad and is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal right after the end of the holy month of Ramadan in which the believers undergo a period of fasting.
According to certain Ahadith, these festivals were initiated in Madinah after migration. Anas reports:
When the Prophet arrived in Madinah, he found...
Eid-ul-Fitr has a particular salah (Islamic prayer) consisting of two raka'ah (units) and generally offered in an open field or large hall. It may only be performed in congregation (Jama’at) and has an additional extra six Takbirs (raising of the hands to the ears while saying "Allah-u-Akbar" [God is Great]), three of them in the beginning of the first raka'ah and three of them just before ruku' in the second raka'ah in the Hanafi school. This Eid ul-Fitr salah is, depending on which juristic opinion is followed, Fard (obligatory), Mustahabb (strongly recommended, just short of obligatory) or mandoob (preferable).
Muslims believe that they are commanded by God, as mentioned in the Qur'an, to continue their fast until the last day of Ramadan and pay the Zakat al-fitr before doing the Eid prayer.
History:
Before the advent of Islam in Arabia, there is mention of Eid festivals as yawm al-sab‘ and yawm al-sabasab as well as some others among the Arabs. The Israelites had festivals as well but as is evident from the Old Testament and other scriptures, these festivals related more to commemorating certain days of their history.
The Eid al-fitr was originated by Islamic prophet Muhammad and is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal right after the end of the holy month of Ramadan in which the believers undergo a period of fasting.
According to certain Ahadith, these festivals were initiated in Madinah after migration. Anas reports:
When the Prophet arrived in Madinah, he found...