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History Behind EID Celebrations!

Know about the Eid holiday

By PenpaperpinsPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Every year we came across various messages and wishes greeting about Eid but have you ever wondered what the holiday is all about? Let's get answers to all those questions arising in your minds.

What is Eid?

The word “Eid” means “festival or feast” in Arabic. It precisely illustrates the event being celebrated. The Eid festive comes twice a year, though each Eid is different and has its special history.

Why Eid is celebrated twice a year?

The two types of Eid follows two different acts of worship. The two Eids recognize, celebrate and recall two distinct events that are significant to the story of the Islamic faith.

The first Eid celebration is “ Eid-al-Fitr”

Eid-al-Fitr means “ the feast of breaking the fast”. It is the time where Muslims give charity to those who are in need and celebrate the completion of a month (Ramadan) of joy and blessings with family and friends.

• The fast is that of Ramadan which recalls the revealing of THE HOLY QURAN by Prophet Muhammad. Ramadan is like a retreat, for a maximum of 30 days which is a step to remove comforts from daily routines intended to focus the mind on prayers, spirituality and improve our connections with the one who gave us life and all the blessings that we have today. After this long spiritual retreat, Eid-al-Fitr has held as a mark the end of Ramadan month. It is celebrated on the first day of the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. It lasts one day, starting with the sighting of the “New Moon” which marks the end of the Islamic month and the beginning of the new month.

• During the last few days of Ramadan, Muslim families give a traditionally defined amount of charity, that is food rather than money – Rice, Dates, Barley etc…to ensure that the needy can enjoy a nourishing amount of meal and participate in the celebrations called Zakat – al – Fitr meaning “charity of fast-breaking”.

History:

According to some traditions, it is believed that these festivals were initiated in Medina after the migration of Muhammad from Mecca.

Anas, a well-known companion of the Prophet, narrated that, when the Prophet arrived in Medina, he found people celebrating two specific days in which they entertained themselves with amusement and zest. At this, the Prophet remarked that Almighty has fixed two days of merriment instead of these for you which are better than these: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Eid al-Fitr is a time for giving thanks to Allah, expressing joy for blessings, letting go of bad feelings and ill will, and accepting others with open arms.

The Second Eid celebration is “ Eid-al-Adha”

Eid-al-Adha means “the feast of the Sacrifice”. It is celebrated on the first day of the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

History:

Eid-al-Adha takes place after the Hajj pilgrimage to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is very important as it is the Fifth Pillar of Islam. All Muslims who are fit and can travel should visit Mecca at least once in their lives. During the Hajj the pilgrims perform acts of worship and renew their faith and sense of purpose in the world. Kaabah is the most important monument in Islam. They stand before the Kaabah, a shrine built by Ibrahim, and praise Allah together. Pilgrims walk around Kaabah 7 times and try to touch the black stone located at the corner.

The story behind Eid-al-Adha celebrations is when Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) had a dream which he believed was a message from Allah asking him to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah.

The devil distracted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son but Ibrahim refused and as soon he was about to kill his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead.

Why do Muslims sacrifice an animal on this day?

On the day of Eid-al- Adha, Muslims recalls and remember Ibrahim’s sacrifice by themselves slaughtering an animal such as sheep, camel or goat. This action is sometimes misunderstood by those outside the faith. It is important to understand that the sacrifice itself, has nothing to do with using the blood to wash from sins. It is a huge misunderstanding from generations.

“ It is not their meat or blood that reaches the Allah; it is your piety that reaches him” (Quran 22:37)

Each one of us makes small sacrifices, giving up things that are close and important to our heart to follow Allah’s commands. The symbolism is in the attitude – a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives to stay on the right path. The meat from the sacrifice is mostly given to others. One-third part is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third part is given away to the friends and one-third part is donated to the poor and needy.

  1. Both the Eid celebrations start with Muslims going to Mosques for Namaz(Prayers).
  2. They dress in their best clothes and thanks to Allah for all the blessings they have received.
  3. It is the time they visit family and friends.
  4. They also do charity so that poor people can celebrate too.

“May the choicest blessing of Allah fill your life with joy and prosperity”- EID MUBARAK!

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