What is Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-al-Fitr (Ramzan Id)
Eid-al-Fitr is also called as the Eid-ul-Fitr, Idul-Fitr or Ramzan Id which indicates the end of Ramadan month means the month of fasting. This is the most religious and holy festival for the people belongs to the Muslim religion during which they break their fast (Fitr means to break).
Eid-ul-Fitr festival has been declared as the gazetted holiday all over the India which gets celebrated on the end of Ramadan month indicating 1st day of Islamic month of Shawwal. It is the festival of breaking fast in the end of Ramadan month (also known as the “Islam’s month of fasting” means month of fasting and prayer).
People from Muslim community go for the communal prayers, listen khutba (means sermon) and help people by donating required things while celebrating festival.
They celebrate this festival as the first Eid of the year whereas Eid al-Adha is the second Eid. Eid ul Fitr is celebrated all over the world at the end of holy Ramadan as well as 1st day of Shawwal month. A special prayer is offered during this celebration called Salat or Islamic prayer in an open field or any large hall.
They continue their fast in the faith of God till last day of the Ramadan month during which they pay “Zakat and fitra” before Eid prayers.
Eid-ul-Fitr 2019 in India was celebrated by the people of Muslim religion on 5th June, Wednesday.
However, it is celebrated on different dates also in various countries of the world. According to the Islamic calendar (lunar calendar), it always falls on the same day however, according to the Gregorian calendar (solar calendar), date varies from year to year.
The difference in the dates of festival celebration in both calendars is 11 days every year. The date of the festival celebration also varies from country to country according to the moon status. However, an actual date for celebrating the Eid-al-Fitr has been adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America which is based on the astronomical calculations.
President, Prime Minister and other leaders of the political parties wished Eid Mubarak to the people and wished them for their peace and prosperity.
People offered namaz in the mosques and wished Eid Mubarak to each other on the occasion. In the evening, people prepared mouth watering delicacies in their homes and invited people for the feasts.
The Jama Masjid in Delhi was readied for the namaz of Eid-ul-fitr. The date of the Eid-ul-Fitr 2019 was decided on 04th after the sighting of the crescent moon and was declared by the Shahi Imam of the mosque.
Qatar celebrated the festival of Eid ul Fitr 2019 with various events which included family games, fireworks, entertainment shows etc. All the malls and restaurants were lit with attractive lightings and special gifts were distributed among the children on the occasion.
According to the Islamic calendar and some Astronomical considerations, Eid-ul-Fitr festival traditionally falls during the sunset after the first sight of crescent moon. Sometimes, moon does not appear soon on 29th day of previous lunar month due to the clouds or sky brightness during moon set.
According to the Islam, it is considered that a great spiritualist Mohammed was blessed by the God (Angel Gabriel) through the divine knowledge in the month of Ramadan. So, the Eid-ul-Fitr festival is celebrated by the every person of Muslim religion in order to pay tribute to the God blessings paid to the Mohammed during the observance of Ramadan.
Prophet Mohammed had passed his divine knowledge to his next generations and followers which people celebrate by making fast and holy prayers throughout the Ramadan and break their fast in the end of month by eating delicious foods. They become spiritually devoted to the God for whole month through worship, offerings and prayers.
Eid-al-Fitr festival is celebrated to commemorate an Islamic prophet Muhammad and his attainments by the God by breaking fast after a long period of fasting on the 1st day of Shawwal month and end of Ramadan month. According to the culture and traditions in Islam, it is considered that this festival was first started in the Madinah when Prophet Muhammad had migrated here from Mecca.
He reached to the Madinah and told people that two festivals have been fixed by the Allah for you known as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Since then, both of the festivals have been marked as the holy occasions in Islam for paying the gratefulness towards God and remember Him.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated by the people of Islam religion with great enthusiasm, joy and faith towards God. They organize variety of activities and events in order to get together with family members and neighbors to celebrate their most important and religious festival.
It starts on the 1st day of the Shawwal month during which people attends the communal prayers, listens holy sermon and does lots of offerings to the poor people of community. They organize communal meals to get together, wear new clothes, hug to family members, distribute invitation cards and sweets including small toys to the children.
At this day government offices of national and state level including banks and post offices becomes closed. People of Islam religion close their stores, business enterprises and other organizations to cheerfully celebrate their festival. They involve in the prayer meetings, marches, parades and so many activities.
They perform prayer to the Masjid in the early morning, Recite Takbir in the open field, greet each other, share gifts, organize fund-raising events and etc.
Eid al-Fitr is a great festival celebrated for two or three days by the people to enjoy. People say each other Eid Mubarak or Happy Eid to wish their family members, friends or neighbors. They enjoy by getting together and forget differences among them.
They wake up in the early morning before the sunrise and offer Salatul Fajr means pre-sunrise prayer, brush their teeth, take bath, wear new clothes, apply perfume and go again for special Eid prayer. They celebrate this festival to pay tribute to the blessings of God, reveal happiness, do charity work, read takbirat in open and large field and etc.
People chants following during their Eid prayer “Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar. Lā ilāha illà l-Lāh wal-Lāhu akbar, Allahu akbar walil-Lāhi l-hamd”. They do prayer in an open field by getting together in the community centers or at mosques. In most of the region of India, it is celebrated using same ritual. A night prior to the Eid is called as the “Chaand ki Raat” means “Night of the Moon”.
Muslim people go out especially for Eid shopping to the nearest market, bazaar or shopping malls according to their choice with family members. Women especially purchase mehndi, colorful bangles, saree, lehanga, earrings and other required things. Children buy their favorite toys and sports utilities.
They prepare special dishes like Lachcha, sivayyan, sweets, sweet vermicelli with milk, dried fruit decoration, akhrot ka halwa, ice-cream fruit custard, mutton rice, malpua, Kashmiri biryani, kofta curry, Sheer Korma, badam phirni, kathi kebab, murg adraki, chicken wings, kebabs, tikkas and many more.
People also go to the popular places such as Jama Masjid in New Delhi, Aishbagh Idgah in Lucknow, Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, Red Road in Kolkata and etc to celebrate their Eid festival with lots of joy and excitement. Eid is being celebrated for years in the city of Hyderabad with great enthusiasm as this city is the rich Islamic Heritage where a “Hyderabadi haleem” is the most popular type of meat stew in the month of Ramadan.
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