Eid Al-Fitr: An Eid for Deserving Servants
Muslims mark the first day of the lunar month Shawwal as Eid al-Fitr; this is one of the major holidays for Muslims. The end of Ramadan and the start of Shawwal is announced after seeing the crescent moon. Fasting is forbidden on Eid al-Fitr.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) points to Eid al-Fitr in a hadith, saying, “When the day of Eid al-Fitr [begins], the angels descend on earth, where they take their positions at access points of roads, calling out with a voice that is heard by the whole creation of Allah, except men and Jin, ‘O Ummah of Muhammad (saw)! Come out to your most Noble and Gracious Lord, who grants much, and pardons the major sins’.”
Muslims offer donations to the needy in the form of Zakat on this day while also holding Eid al-Fitr prayer in mass.
Allocating a part of one’s assets as Zakat al-Fitr is considered a worthy act and complementary to fasting. Although the value of this Zakat may be small, it demonstrates the attention of Muslims to those in need and believers’ attempt to meet the needs of their fellow human beings in society.
According to Imam Sadegh (AS), verse 14 of Surah Al-A’la which reads “Prosperous is he who purifies himself” refers to those who pay Zakat al-Fitr. In another narration, Imam Sadegh (AS) says God will accept the fasting of the one who finishes it by a proper word and deed, adding that Zakat al-Fitr is that worthy deed.
Zakat al-Fitr is three kilograms of one’s major food and it can be wheat, rice, dates, barley, raisins, or the money worth three kilograms of them.
Other than paying Zakat, Muslims gather in congregational prayers on the morning of Eid al-Fitr. They felicitate Eid to each other and celebrate it in the community. They thank God for giving them the opportunity to fast and ask God to preserve them in the face of evil.
