The Importance of Eid al Fitr

Categories: Disabled People Are Differently Abled Islamic Culture My Religion Islam Religion And Society

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“We prayed for a peaceful world, a thriving nation, and family well-being.” With the ever-growing population of Islam believers, Eid al Fitr is becoming a national holiday throughout the whole world. The presence that Eid al Fitr brings upon the world is so apparent even some presidents such as George W. Bush have celebrated Eid al Fitr. Eid al Fitr is not limited to just bringing families together or encouraging peace amongst warring groups. With a multitude of religions and groups of people celebrating several holidays, Eid al Fitr has impacted society in such a way; it is worth learning the importance of this beautiful holiday.

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To understand the origin or the purpose of Eid al Fitr one must immerse themselves in the religion that it is based upon. “Islam originated in Arabia and has spread all over the world.” Afghanistan’s history explains how Islam was introduced into every nation. Islam was introduced into Afghanistan in the 600’s by the Arab people; however, several countries fought for control of Afghanistan.

The Turkish, Timurids, and even the Mongols all fought for this nation, but the Afghan tribes banded together and fought off all other nations. With the threat of these nations' attempts to seize, dwindling Muslims began to build mosques. A few had already been built during the Timurid era such as the Blue Mosque at Mazar-e Sharif. Islam’s holiest book the Quran speaks about a prophet named Muhammad who had received messages from God.

This messenger is the primary reason for the rapid growth of the Islamic religion.

Islam has over 1.5 billion followers, and it has become the primary religion for over fifty countries. Without Ramadan Eid al Fitr could not be celebrated, for its purpose depends on the events that take place during Ramadan. “Ramadan in Islam, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the new moon.” Ramadan is a month-long celebration in which Muslims seek forgiveness for their sins, and they practice restraint from drugs, food, and all other impure thoughts. Suhar is a special time right before dawn in which a Muslim can eat certain foods. If a Muslim breaks his fast he is expected to make up for his mistake.

“Sawm can be invalidated by eating or drinking at the wrong time, but the lost day can be made up.” Muslims such as the elderly, newborn, or pregnant are not expected to partake in Ramadan if they are not able-bodied. However, they can volunteer to help communities or give to charities to take the place of fasting. Iftar is a meal that happens each day during Ramadan in which family members and extended family have a feast. There are five pillars or tenets in which a Muslim must follow to achieve their salvation: Declaration of faith, Fasting, Prayer, Charity, and Pilgrimage. A Muslim can achieve all five requirements if they partake in the holy month of Ramadan. “Some of the faithful noted how Ramadan helped bring people of diverse backgrounds together,” Muhammad stated that it is imperative to work during Ramadan as work is important to maintain the natural balance in a person’s life. Several Muslims prepare for Eid Al Fitr as they pack their bags to head to their hometown. The traditions and specific details of Eid will be celebrated differently from one country to another and from different cultures.

The common themes that are found in Eid are joy, love, and patience. One of the world’s biggest temporary migrations takes effect the day before Eid in Indonesia. All the people of Indonesia including any school students or people working return to their hometowns to celebrate. Several Muslims may end up praying for over 10 hours each day. Comoros hosts wrestling matches to attract large groups of people for Eid al Fitr. The competition is fought for by wrestlers who all originate from different regions, and one wrestler will hold the trophy on the last day of Eid al Fitr. The tradition that Comoros is most well known for is hand-giving.

This tradition involves Muslims giving greetings to their family and friends. From civilized nations such as Comoros and Indonesia to a more primitive nations such as Nigeria. An interesting country to note is the United States of America because Islam is a minor religion in America it is often frowned upon by other religions. This leads to several Muslims fearing the hatred they will receive if they identify as Muslim. However, Muslims in the United States still hold feasts for their friends and families as well as meeting at mosques to pray. 'Peace and harmony are the key messages of Eid.” The common denominator amongst all Muslims who are celebrating Eid al Fitr is their will for prosperity for all people, even the religions and groups that oppose them are prayed for.

The different characteristics that each of the countries do not share are tremendous such as size, ethnic groups, or population, but across the entire world, all the Muslims celebrate Eid al Fitr to show that no matter what is going on there is time to celebrate. The most controversial gang that is fighting against the Afghanistan government has been directly affected by Eid al Fitr. “The Afghan Taliban announced a three-day cease-fire with Afghan forces over Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan after the government called for a holiday cease-fire.”The Afghanistan government has been attempting to have peace talks with the Taliban for a long time, but violence has sparked each time the two reached negotiations. With the temporary cease-fire, the Afghan government has considered treating the Taliban as a political party. The United States has commended Afghanistan on its efforts to make amends with the Taliban. The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “welcomed the Afghan government’s efforts, calling them a ‘commitment to peace as both a national and religious responsibility.’

Eid al Fitr has aided in boosting the economy of countries by encouraging Muslims to purchase products that are specific to Eid al Fitr. Stores in Europe such as MAC cosmetics, the Body Shop, and Godiva chocolates are just a few businesses that provide packaged gifts for Eid. These stores usually end up selling out of most of their Eid gifts. However, many Muslims still scrutinize businesses for not giving enough attention to Eid, because they feel only a small portion of businesses actually sell Eid-specific products. It is important to note that the Islamic market is growing at a rapid pace.

“The global Islamic economy is forecast to be worth more than £3 trillion by 2021 and is growing at nearly double the rate of the general worldwide economy.”The mosque that Muslims pray in can vary in shapes in sizes, and they are often packed during Eid al Fitr. A prayer room of a mosque in Xinjiang Uygur is filled with heating lamps and blankets. The mosque are prepared this way due to the cold weather that may appear in the mornings. The mosque’s prayer room can range from a single tennis court to rooms as big as football fields.

This is especially important because some mosques can receive up to 100,000 people in a single day. Some mosques get so packed with devotees there is no room to move except to move the upper body up and down. This is especially difficult for people with some form of disability because they cannot perform the same actions as healthy people. The disabled may just sit and pray without doing any actions. A seventy-six-year-old man even stated, “‘I can't kneel to pray but the important thing is I am here.’” The purpose of Eid al Fitr is not to just for a Muslim to exclaim their faith but for them to grow with their friends and families. It opens up avenues for peace talks where there should be none, because of the importance that all Muslims place on this holiday.

The most unique fact about Eid al Fitr is that no matter what set of days it is celebrated on or where it is located, happiness and respect for the Islam religion are present. Eid al Fitr is considered to be a sacred holiday by all Muslims; it is not because they follow their faith blindly, but Eid is a sacred holiday that has been present in the early 700’s in Arabia and has now spread all throughout the world. With Eid al Fitr on a path to becoming a national holiday worldwide, it is worth learning the meaning behind the reason for celebrating these few holy days.