'EID' means recurring happiness or festivity. The Eid prayer is very important for all Muslims. It has the merits of the five daily prayers as ordained by God for Muslims known as 'SALAT'. It has the effects of the weekly Friday convention known as 'Jumu'ah and the characteristics of the annual re-unions between Muslims.Eid-ul-Fitr (the festival of fasting breaking) falls on the first day of shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar year, following the month of Ramadan, in which the Holy Quran was revealed and which is the month for fasting.
The Islamic Eid are unique in every way. To them, there can be no similar in any other religion or any other socio-political system. Beside the highly spiritual and moral characteristics of Eid-ul-Fitr, it has matchless qualities as follows: Eid-ul-Fitr, is a wholesome celebration of a remarkable achievement of the individual Muslim in the service of God. It comes after an entire month of fasting during the days of Ramadan.
It is a thanksgiving day, where Muslims assembles in a brotherly and joyful atmosphere to offer their gratitude to God, for helping them to fulfil their spiritual obligation prior to Eid. This form of thanksgiving is not confined to spiritual devotion and verbal expression. It goes far beyond that to manifest itself in a handsome shape of social humanitarian spirit.The Muslims who have completed the fasting of Ramadan, expresses their thanks to God by means of distributing alms among the poor and the needy on Eid-ul-Fitr. The distribution of alms and oblation, contributes a major part of the Eid highlights. This Islamic form of thanksgiving is a wholesome combination which cannot be found except in Islam.Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of remembrance. Even in their most joyful times, the Muslim makes a fresh start of the day by a plural session of worship to God. They pray and glorify His name to demonstrate their remembrance of His favours. Along with that course, they remember the deceased by praying for their souls, the needy by extending a hand of help, to the grieved, by showing them sympathy and consolation, the sick by cheerful visit and utterances of good wishes, the absentees, by cordial greetings and sincere wishes. Thus the meaning of remembrance of the day, transcends all limits and expands over far reaching dimensions of human life.Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of victory. The individual who succeeds in securing his spiritual rights and growth, receives the Eid with a victorious spirit. The individual who faithfully observes the duties, which are associated with Eid, is triumphant one.
He proves that he holds a strong command over his desires, exercises a sound self-control and enjoys the taste of disciplinary life. And once a person acquires these qualities, he has achieved his greatest victory, because the person who knows how to control himself and discipline his desire, is free from sin and wrong, from fear and cowardice, from vice and indecency, from jealousy and greed, from humiliation and all other causes of enslavement. So, when he received the Eid which marks the achievement of this freedom, he is in fact celebrating his victory, and the Eid thus becomes a day of victory.Eid-ul-Fitr is a harvest day. All good workers in the service of God, all the faithful believers reap the fruit of their good deeds on the Day, as God grants His mercy and blessings abundantly. The Islamic society, on the other hand, collects the due subscriptions to religious brotherhood and social responsibility, in which subscriptions are paid in the form of mutual love and sympathy.Every member of the Islamic faith will be reaping some fruits or collecting some revenue in one way or another. God gives infinitely, especially to those who are sincerely concerned with the general welfare of their fellow believers.
Eid is a day of forgiveness. When the Muslim assembles in the congregation of the Day, they whole-heartedly pray for forgiveness and strength of faith. And God has assured those who approach him with sincerity of His mercy and forgiveness. In that pure assembly and highly spiritual congregation any true Muslim would feel ashamed of himself or herself before God to hold enmity or ill-feelings towards his brethren.
A true Muslim would be deeply impressed by this brotherly and spiritual assembly and would overcome his ill-feelings if he has been exposed to any. Consequently he would find himself moving along with others responding to the spirit of the Day to purify his heart and soul.
Eid is a day of peace. When the Muslim establishes peace within his heart by obeying the laws of God and leading a disciplinary life, he has certainly concluded a most inviolable treaty of peace with God. Once a person is at peace with God, he is at peace with himself and consequently, with the rest of the universe. So, when he celebrates the Eid in the right manner, he is actually celebrating the conclusion of a peace treaty between himself and God. This mark the Eid as a Day of Peace.That is the proper meaning of Eid-ul-Fitr: a Day of peace and thanksgiving, a Day of forgiveness and moral victory, a Day of festive RemembranceMay the Almighty God continue to grant us peace in Ghana and the world at large. May He also bless and guide all believers to the path of righteousness, Amen.
PEACE BE UNTO THE BELIEVERS AND THE LOVE OF GOD.