Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may Allah raise the rank of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and protect his nation from that which he fears for them.
I advise you to fear Allah. Allah, the Exalted, said in Surat Yunus, verse 58: [Say, “In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.”].
Al-Bayhaqiyy narrated from Anas, may Allah raise his rank, that he said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Madinah and found its people having two days during which they used to have festivity in the Era of Ignorance. He said: “I came to you, and you had two days during which you used to have festivity in the Era of Ignorance, and Allah has replaced them for you with something better: the Day of Adha and the Day of Fitr.”
There is no doubt that ^Eid is a time of joy, happiness, and delight for the believers. There is also no doubt that the joy and happiness of believers in this world, which leads to commendable outcomes, is achieved when they succeed in completing the obedience of Allah, the Almighty. By this, they gain the reward for their good deeds, filling their hearts with confidence in Allah’s promise to reward them in the Hereafter.
One of the great blessings and mercies of Allah upon this nation is that He replaced the two days of play and amusement during the Era of Ignorance with two days of praise and gratitude, making them among the rites of the religion. On these days, the believers rejoice and show happiness among themselves for the blessings and bounties that Allah has bestowed upon them. The noble ^Eid stirs in the sincere hearts the determination to continue in doing good deeds and perform the obedience to Allah, the Almighty.
^Eid comes after the completion of two great acts of worship, which leave a sweetness in the heart and serenity in the soul. After the blessed month of fasting and goodness, Ramadan, comes ^Eid al-Fitr while ^Eid al-Adha arrives on the day of the great Hajj, the Day of Sacrifice, in which most of the Hajj rituals are performed after the pilgrims have stayed on Mount of ^Arafat, which is the greatest integral of Hajj.
^Eid is filled with the meanings of love and compassion among believers, reflecting the true meaning of Allah’s statement in Surat Al-Hujurat: [The believers are brothers]. There is no doubt that the bonds of brotherhood in faith are stronger than those of kinship, and what unites the believers through faith is more enduring than blood ties and marriage relations.
^Eid highlights the manifestations of unity, cooperation, and love among brothers, whose fathers and mothers are diverse. The unity among them is a great manifestation that we hope to strengthen more and more. Speaking of the manifestations of cooperation and kindness during ^Eid, we recall how many charities and donations precede or coincide with this day, relieving the distress of the needy and removing their worries, making them rejoice.
Many of Zakat money reach the deserving ones, sufficing them on this day, leading the poor to praise their Lord for the provision He has given them, and the rich to thank Allah for enabling them to fulfill the obligation of Zakat.
During ^Eid, believers turn to one another, hearts becoming elevated as one forgives another who wronged him, another seeks reconciliation with one who estranged him, and they meet with smiles and affection. How many estrangements has ^Eid reconciled, how many adversaries have met in the shade of ^Eid, and how many disobedient children or wrongdoers have repented to their Lord due to the light of ^Eid.
In the days of ^Eid, we see the visiting of relatives and friends, which fills hearts with joy and comfort, removes grudges from the chests, thus ending enmities and demolishing animosities. One kisses the hand of his father, another kisses the foot of his mother, seeking the pleasure of their parents, and another embraces his brother, reconciling with friends after relationships were strained by discord. All these are praiseworthy actions that need to be renewed in our society repeatedly to remove the rust that often surrounds the relationships of many people.
Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, guided us to all goodness, encouraged us to every virtue, and called us to rectify and straighten ourselves. How much we need to follow his path, peace and blessings be upon him, and be guided by his guidance on ^Eid and every day.
The essence of ^Eid is not just to adorn oneself with new clothes, nor to be preoccupied with buying the latest fashions, nor to focus solely on leisure trips and amusements, neglecting the valuable principles that we should understand from ^Eid. The greatest joy is to increase your acts of obedience and multiply your good deeds.
What is the point of adorning oneself with clothes, indulging in luxurious food and drink, while neglecting one’s Muslim brother, and not heeding the Hadith of Abu Ayyub al-Ansariyy, who narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “It is not lawful for a man to forsake his brother for more than three nights; when they meet, this one turns away and that one turns away. The best of them is the one who starts with the greeting of peace.” (Narrated by al-Bukhariyy).
This Hadith indicates that it is forbidden for a believer to forsake his brother for more than three nights if the estrangement is for a worldly matter, such as disagreeing over a worldly gain. This estrangement might continue for months or years, or even until death, with some advising their children to continue the estrangement, thereby drawing their offspring into disobedience as well. This is one of the great dangers we face in our society and should combat with knowledge and guidance.
How many in our society spend ^Eid indulging in amusements and nightlife, seeking to meet with so-and-so or indulge in inappropriate behaviour, having neither fasted a day in Ramadan nor offered a prayer to Allah, or neglecting the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and continuing their sins even on ^Eid.
What meaning of ^Eid have such people understood? How do they spend their lives? ^Eid, in its true essence, is a rite of faith, reflecting gratitude to Allah for His blessings and guidance. The believer goes early to the mosque, humbly making takbir, offering prayers, and listening to the speech, then applying the guidance in their lives, avoiding the selfish desires of the soul.
How beautiful it would be if we were united as one, loving for each other what we love for ourselves. Anas reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “None of you would be a perfect believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Narrated by al-Bukhariyy). This means that one would not be classified as a perfect believer unless he attains this attribute.
^Eid calls Muslims to meet with goodness, faith, and mercy,
^Eid calls us to visit those we have estranged, Especially the visit to our relatives.
And Allah knows best.
