صراط عشق صراط عشق
By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz
Heartiest congratulations on the auspicious occasion of Eid ul-Fitr. May God accept our fasts and all other acts of worship for the blessed month of Ramadhan!
Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) by the command of the Almighty designated the 1st of Shawwal as Eid ul-Fitr, on which the faithful give as charity to the poor the Fitriyah, which, for each person, is 3 kg of the staple food eaten during Ramadhan such as wheat, rice, or dates. Most people give the equivalent in money of the said figure for the benefit of the poor sections of the society.
The Prophet’s First Infallible Successor, Imam Ali (AS), in one of his sermons on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr has compared this great occasion with the Day of Resurrection, saying that after a month of fasting, the virtuous are rewarded by God on this day while the disobedient become disappointed.
The Imam says that our Loving Creator forgives the past sins of those who had been obedient to His commandments. He cautions the believers against waywardness and exhorts them to properly think of the future, so as to spend the rest of the year in obedience to the commandments of God Almighty.
The ulema and scholars of Islam, in line with the teachings of the Prophet and the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, have elaborated on the importance of this day. For instance, the Late Gnostic, Mirza Javad Agha Maleki Tabrizi, who for decades taught ethics at the Islamic seminary, has said about Eid ul-Fitr: It is the day chosen by God to grant gifts to His servants by giving them the opportunity of supplicating in the Divine Court for forgiveness of sins, solution to their problems, and seeking fulfillment of their lawful, legal and rational wishes. God’s promise is true and he grants them much more than they could imagine.
Maleki Tabrizi also said that one should abstain from sins and a life of ignorance that deprives them of the spiritual bounties of God. However, he has cautioned the people against despondency or a feeling of despair, saying that on the day of Eid ul-Fitr the Mercy of God engulfs even those that had not properly observed the rules of fasting or may have sinned in the month of Ramadhan out of weakness of character; and if such people repent and seek forgiveness on the day of Eid ul-Fitr, Almighty Allah would forgive them. As for those who observed piety and strictly adhered to the rules of fasting and commandments of God during Ramadhan, their reward on the day of Eid ul-Fitr is manifold and the All-Merciful Lord appreciates their good deeds, further opens the doors of guidance for them, affords them more opportunities to do good, and places them amongst His selected servants.
In view of these facts, the best group of believers are those who have experienced the sweetness of God’s favours by responding to His invitation to fast and to strive for attaining the proximity of the Lord Most High. The reward reserved for such people in afterlife is perpetual bliss as well as blessings that none can imagine and which no eyes have seen.
Ramadhan, with all its glories, has thus come to its end, but on a tragic note, especially for the people of Palestine who are being subjected to holocaust and genocide by the Zionists. The world is watching in silence as men, women, and children are being killed.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the Godless Takfiri terrorists are making life miserable for Muslims. Under the circumstances, it is our duty to pray for the deliverance of Muslims worldwide on the day of Eid ul-Fitr, including in India where anarchist elements are unabashedly calling for genocide.
As taught by Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), Muslims on the day of Eid ul-Fitr gather in vast multitudes to offer the special 2-rak’at Eid Prayer, which is obligatory under certain conditions, and its time is sunrise till noon. It is prayed in congregation. Women are exempted from this prayer, but if they are inclined there is no restriction for them to pray.
The following is the translation of the Qonout Supplication of the Eid Prayer:
“O Allah! Lord of magnificence and greatness; and Lord of generosity and overwhelming power; and Lord of pardon and mercy. We implore You for the sake of this day which You have appointed as a Festival for the Muslims and for Muhammad (SAWA) and his progeny as a reminder, a distinction, an honour. So bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and admit me to all the bounties to which You have admitted Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and keep me away from all evils from which You have kept away Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad; may Your blessings be upon him and his progeny. I beg of You of the best which has been asked for by Your virtuous good servants, and I seek Your protection from all those evils from which Your sincere servants have sought Your protection.
