The Tima Of Eid
Allah Almighty has bestowed on us the days of the blessed Eids, times of peace and happiness. These holy days are “Eid al-Fitr”(Eid of Ramadan) and “Eid al-Adha”(Eid of sacrifice).
Anas bin Malik (radiyallahu anh) narrates:
“Before Islam, the people of Madinah had two Eids a year (festivals of fun and games). Seeing that people were having fun on one of these two days after the Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to his companions:
- Allah the Almighty has exchanged those two days for you with two better days. One is yawmu’l-Adha / Eid-al-Adha, the other is yawmu’l-Fitr / Eid al-Fitr.”
(Ahmad b. Hanbal, al-Musnad, 3/103)
The days of Eid are a great opportunity for us as well as a blessing. Therefore, it is necessary to be prepared for this opportunity in advance and anticipate its coming with excitement so that we do not miss the chance to benefit from these special times. That's why there is the day of Arafah in Islamic culture. Before the holy days of Eid, Muslims start preparing from the day of Arafah. The day of Arafah is welcomed as if it is a part of the Eid, as it is nestled within the embrace of the same blessed atmosphere. There are hadiths about the day of Arafah from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam):
“He who realizes the day of Arafah properly will enter Paradise.” (al-Munziri, at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib, 1615)
“While thousands of people who deserved hell are freed from fire every day at the time of iftar, on the last day of Ramadan, the same number of people who were freed until that day are saved from Hell.” (Ahmad b. Hanbal, al-Musnad, 6/128)
“The heart of a person who spends the night of Eid in prayer, expecting his reward only from Allah, does not die on the day when all hearts die.” (Ibn Majah, 1782)
Eid is when the human soul rejoices and finds peace with divine gifts and shares this spirit with people. That's why our holy days mean socializing, making peace with people we might be at odds with, sharing blessings with others, and acts of worship. With the divine wisdom enshrined within, these blessed times pave the way for finding reconciliation, building bridges, and sharing. These favorable days are also heralded as a period of time with more rewards than most others.
First of all, the holy days are an opportunity for forgiveness. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, it is necessary to make an effort and be persistent. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“On the morning of Ramadan, Allah the almighty sends angels. Angels descend to earth. They stand on the streets and shout:
– O Ummah of Muhammad! Hasten to the presence of your Lord, who bestows bountiful gifts and forgives great sins.
All creatures other than humans and jinn hear their cries. When people gather in mosques, the almighty Allah calls out to his angels:
– What is the reward of the person who performs his duty? The angels reply:
– O our Lord! The response to him should be to receive his full earnings.
Allah the almighty says to His angels:
– O my angels! I hold you as witnesses, I am pleased with them and forgive them." (Bayhaki, 3695)
According to Abdullah al-Ansari (quddisa sirruhu), one of the elders of the awliya;
“When a precious servant of Allah, other than whom there is no god, dies, Azrael (alayhissalam) comes and says:
- Do not be afraid! You are going to the most merciful of the merciful. You are returning to your real homeland. You are reaching the holy day. This world is a recess and a prison for the believer. This mortal existence loaned to you is a guise for the truth. With death, the guise falls away, the truth comes out. The believer will meet Allah, who is eternally living.’ There will be no sweeter, more pleasant and more comfortable day in the world for that servant than the day they hear these words.”
Eids are a taste of the reunion with the mercy of Allah that believers will find in the Akhirah. What is said as a wish to each other among righteous servants, “May your life be Ramadan and your hereafter be Eid,” is an extremely meaningful proverb for believers. This expression indicates that the vigilant care applied throughout Ramadan should be extended to a person's whole life rather than just a month. The thought of Ramadan for a lifetime also instills the idea of a lifetime of Eid. Those who live their entire lives in this world with the sensitive attitude they cultivate during Ramadan, conforming to the guidelines of Islam, will find eternal peace in the hereafter with the joy of Eid.
Ramadan, the sultan of eleven months, comes as an all-encompassing breath of new life, as if to collect us in its embrace; it permeates our inner and outer worlds. If we work to take advantage of it, we will reach the real Eid. As a matter of fact, the wise friends of Allah stated that the reason why the Eids are so precious and blessed is embedded in the times preceding them. Therefore, it is necessary to try to diligently apply ourselves to truly appreciate these holy times before the Eids and celebrate them.
Eids are a time for forgiveness and togetherness. The Eid of Ramadan, the Eid of sacrifice, and Fridays are times to get together and get along with each other. For this reason, attention is constantly drawn to the importance of brotherhood and love of the Eids.
Hadrat Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (quddisa sirruhu), in his work titled “Fihi ma Fih,” refers to the social aspect of the Eids with the following expressions:“Someone asked why there are two Eids every year, and four Fridays every month. I said: The purpose is for the friends of Allah and those who love Allah to come together, unite, talk and meet with each other because gathering is a mercy while separation is a punishment. The purpose is for souls and bodies to get used to each other, learn of the unity at the beginning and the unity at the end. They will be able to attain their wishes from Allah, either entirely or partially, with the blessings of this gathering, this peace of heart, and this accord. Likewise, the purpose of the meeting of scholars, dervishes and the public on Eid days and Fridays is to remember the gathering of the Day of Judgment, the clash and clamor of that fateful day and to remember the day when they will gather in the maqam of haqiqah in Paradise with friends with pure souls and those who truly love Allah…”
As in all things related to our worship of our Creator, it is a given that holy days should be properly observed. We should ensure that the celebrations held on those days are deserved by performing the duties and obligations that come before. Only sincere and diligent people can deserve true Eid. For this reason, if Eid comes after our worship, dhikr, and good deeds, the joy in our souls will be more lasting and transformative.
Contrary to our possible ghaflah at other times, we can feel closer to Allah by realizing the divine joy during the Eid. This is as Allah Almighty says in a Hadith Qudsi; the Lord turns to the servant as much as the servant turns to his Lord. We need to follow a path through our concerted efforts so that our Lord will respond to this endeavor with immensely greater rewards…
We feel that we have the same uplifted spirit on Eid days that we experience in blessed times and places. The feeling that pervades us when we enter a mosque, on holy nights, or during the whole of Ramadan rises palpably during the Eid. This is a gift of Almighty Allah to us.
As a confirmation of this blessing, Muslims take better care of orphans, the poor, and the needy in these time periods. It brings joy into people’s hearts to lend a helping hand and embrace those who are underprivileged. During Eids, we can realize that we are all one big family as the descendants of Adam (alayhissalam). We can share what we have, mature spiritually and make headway in our journey to become perfect human beings.
Allah Almighty has given us the Eid so that we can get rid of the shackles of our own egos, ambitions, grudges, fights, and resentments. Eids are the days for us to make up for our shortcomings.
Inshallah, we will be able to prepare for the Eid properly, realize its importance and make the best of these blessed times.
With his tawfiq and inayah...
Sheik Sayyid M. Mübarek Elhüseyni
