Eid ul Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and gives Muslims a day to celebrate a great achievement which they make in form of winning the pleasure of their Lord and Creator, Almighty God, by fasting and carrying out other acts of virtue during Ramadan. This joyous day serves as a reward for them. One does not only feel happy on Eid-ul-Fitr because through exercising self-discipline one has successfully complied with the commandment of God to observe the fasts, but also on account of a feeling of spiritual exhilaration which glows within the heart and soul. Eid is also a day of thanksgiving for having had the opportunity to make sacrifices and as a token of acceptance of the sacrifices of the believers, Almighty Allah has enjoined to celebrate this day. The Eid reminds us that the true happiness and celebrations lie in winning the pleasure of our Creator. To give expression to this real joy and happiness outwardly, we celebrate the Eid day.

The need for celebration and happiness has always been an innate trait of humans designed by the creator of the universe himself. Islam being the natural religion, desires for its followers to gather on Eid and partake of the joys and happiness at this occasion. The special Eid Prayer Services are held in the morning which attracts Muslim men, women, and children in greater numbers than any other occasion during the year. The celebration extends over the whole day and every Muslim family cook delicious food and invite friends and neighbours to celebrate with them.

The holy month of Ramadan, along with all its spiritual blessings, increases the spirit of love for the poor by suffering hunger themselves that gives a believer true happiness and a feeling of comfort which cannot be explained in words. This happiness doubled with the joy of winning God’s pleasure through observing fasts, offering Prayers, and avoiding vain talk, falsehood and any such activity as is below the dignity of a true believer constitutes the true Islamic Eid.

If fellow feeling is the lesson learnt during Ramadan, then how can Eid ul Fitr be truly celebrated without showing it practically? In this regard, we find our beloved Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace and blessings) at the forefront to show extreme compassion to the less fortunate ones. Encouraging his followers, he said: ‘All creatures are God’s family. So, God likes the person, from among all humans, who treats His family well and looks after their needs.’

If Muslims want to celebrate the true Eid, they must do it by showing the true spirit of fellow feeling as was taught by the Holy Prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him). We can have a genuine Eid for ourselves only when we make it a day of celebrations for the poor. – Shafiq ur Rehman, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at NZ