Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-fitr, also known as Ramzan Eid or breaking of the fast, is a festival observed by the Muslim community all around the globe to mark the end of month long fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramzan festival is celebrated in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and fasting during this month is considered to be very auspicious. Arabic word for fasting is Sawm. Performing Sawm is accompanied with certain strict restrictions e.g. the devotees have to abstain themselves from eating and drinking during the daylight. The period of fasting (Sawm) is not just limited to the month of Ramadan, but, it is widely regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam, thus bearing significant importance in an Islamic individual’s life. The five pillars of Islam are summarized in the hadith of Gabriel. According to its passages, there are five basic acts in Islam that every devotee must follow to attain Jannah.
The five pillars of Islam are:
- Shahada: Declaration of Faith
- Salat: Obligatory Prayer
- Zakat:Compulsory Giving
- Sawn: Fasting in the Month of Ramadan
- Hajj: Mecca Pilgrimage
There are two branches of Islam, namely, Shia and Sunni. Both of them tends to adhere to the essential practices as described in the holy text of Gabriel but Shia employs two more pillars in the same, namely, Walayah and Taharah.
The month of Ramadan usually lasts for 29-30 days according to the various biographical incidents present in the Hadith of Gabriel. According to Islamic belief, the first revelation of the Mohammad happened during this month. When he was visited by the Gabriel in the cave of Hira, the initial offerings of Quran appeared mystically inside his head. Then he was asked by the Gabriel to recite first few lines of chapter 96 to him. The translation says,
“It is no less than inspiration bestowed to him, he was taught by the mighty one in power. Enslaved with wisdom, for he appeared in the earthly form while at the same time his appearance was also shining on the highest part of the horizon, then he came closer to Muhammad approaching him in a way which is unprecedented for every human being, and that was a mere distance of two bow-length or even closer.”
Before the revelation and its divine effects on Muhammad’s personal life, he was born and raised in Makkah. At the age of 40, he got very concerned about the social injustice and the ignorance of one divine truth among the people. So, he alone took the pledge to help the course of it by performing prayers for almost 12 hours in a day. Islamic tradition says that Muhammad was blessed with the dreams of spiritual significance and reflection of his one true identity. He was shown a glimpse of his fate and he readily accepted the chance to fight for the cause. He considered himself extremely lucky to have received such a divine honor of working for the good of the society. The month long fasting in the month of Ramadan is observed to honor his days of struggle and to thank him for the pain he had to endure for the betterment of this society. At the end of the month, Eid ul fitr is observed and, on the very day of it, fasting is strictly prohibited according to the Eid celebration guidelines. This day is widely observed as an Eid holiday in most of the countries. Check out Eid Ul Fitr 2017 dates available for you at mPanchang.
According to the legend associated with Eid ul Fitr (or Eid al Fitr), the first revelation of Quran wasn’t easily understood by Muhammad and when asked to recite the same, he was unable to comprehend. So, the angel took him into her loving arms for three times and then he was magically bestowed with the ability to read and write. Then Muhammad started reciting with the following verses:
“Read in the name of thy lord whose proclamation will be cherished by the humanity for the larger period of their residence on the Earth, our lord who created this universe and the man with just a handful of congealed blood, proclaim and the lord is the most bountiful who taught a man he knew nothing of”.
Perplexed and confused by the experience of it Muhammad made his way back to home and asked his wife the meaning of it! He was later consoled by her wife who took him to her cousin, Waraqah, and he himself after testifying the incident, proclaimed him as the embodiment of prophet of Islam. He also told him that the angel was sent by Allah himself, and will be the reason for his people to turn their backs on him. Muhammad got more confused and asked why would it happen as there are no lies or forgeries embedded into his incident. To which Waraqah replied that anyone who came back with something familiar in the past were treated with dreadful hostility, and they had to endure a lot of suffering in the rest of thine lives. As I know that I wouldn’t be alive to see the rest of your struggle but I would always support you from the star above and there will be some energy left of me which will guide you through the rest of your life. And as it was predicted, Waraqah died a few days later. Later on, Muhammad heard the voice of Gabriel from the sky and when he looked up, he saw her sitting between the earth and the sky and, the revelation is then resumed from the chapter 74. According to the account of it as narrated by Muhammad to Zubayr:
“When I was on my way to the mountain, I heard a voice saying “O Muhammad! You are the apostle of God and I am Gabriel” and when I looked up to see who was speaking, the same verses were repeated by a man whose feet were astride along the horizon. I tried to avert my gaze and kept moving on my path, but whatever region of the sky came before my eyes, him/her reflection was there, looking directly at me.”
Eid al-fitr and month of Ramadan go hand in hand to mark the sacrifices made by the Lord Muhammad in the era of darkness. The dates for Eid ul fitr 2017, also known as Ramzan Eid is available for you at mPanchang. At mPanchang, you get to know all about the falling of Eid ul Fitr in 2017 (i.e. when is Eid ul fitr in 2017).
Eid ul Fitar falls on the immediate next day after the end of Ramadan month, which is also the first day of the month of Shawwal according to the Muslim calendar. Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months distributed in a year of 354 or 355 days. The commencement of any new month happens with the sighting of the new Moon, therefore, this day varies between any two different localities. Eid al Fitr 2017 is accompanied with special Islamic prayers, also known as Salat, these prayers are generally held in an open hall or large field. There are generally two opinions followed during the prayer, namely, Fard (obligatory) and Mustahab (highly recommended). Muslims believe that Allah is their almighty and whatever happens in the world is merely the embodiment of his wishes. Therefore, they continue with their fast until the end of Ramadan and offer the Fitra and Zakat before the commencement of Eid prayers.
The timings of the 2017 Eid ul fitr varies according to the sighting of the new Moon shortly after the Sunset. If the Moon does not appear on the horizon after the 29th day of the lunar month, either because the western sky is still too bright or the clouds have gotten into the way, then the Ramzan Eid 2017 Dates is celebrated on the following day. The legend associated with Eid says that when Muhammad arrived in Madinah, he found people celebrating two specific days by observing various public proceedings of merriment and recreation. He told them that Allah has fixed two days for worshipping and these days will provide you with the spiritual satisfaction more than your current fun activities can ever provide. These days as described in the Muslim texts are: Eid al-Adha and 2017 Eid al-Fitar. Both these festivals should be celebrated along with offering Zakat (alms giving process) to the needy.
General rituals associated with the Holiday Eid ul Fitr are waking up before the sunrise and carry on with the general morning procedures along with the continuous chant of prayers. According to Eid al Fitr guidelines, it is forbidden to fast on the day of 2017 Dates Ramzan Eid. It is best to acknowledge this day with a light breakfast before offering the special Eid prayers, also known as Salaat. General rules associated with the Eid rituals are:
- To show compassion towards other human beings
- To pray and give as much charity as possible
- Not one word shall be spoken during the Eid prayer (only recital of the telling of Muhammad should happen in your head)
- The Eid prayer is followed by the lecture (sermon) about the teachings of Muhammad and then by asking mercy and forgiveness for our sins from Allah. Listening to the Sermon is considered to be optional for a Sunnah, while the acquaintance with the relatives and friends after the Eid prayer is imperative.
Eid ul-Fitr 2017 date is available for you at mPanchang. Check out the history of Eid al Fitr (also known as Ramzan Eid Holiday) at mPanchang. Eid celebration are considered to be very auspicious according to the Muslim tradition.
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