Intermediates
Gallantry and accessories
In the story of Muhammad's life (hadis) handed down by Anas ibn Malik, the prophet's companion, it is said that when Muhammad arrived in Medina, the people of the city had two days a year to play and celebrate. The prophet asked them: "What are these two days?" They replied: "These are the two days on which we rejoiced and celebrated during the Jahiliyyah period." (Jahiliyyah is the period before the appearance of Islam - "the time of ignorance and darkness.") And the prophet said: "Verily, Allah Almighty has changed these two days for you for the better two days: the festival of the end of the fast (Eid al-Fitr) and the festival of sacrifice (Eid al-Adha)."
The origin of the holiday's name and its history
There are various names for this holiday in different Islamic countries. According to some lexicographers, the Arabic word eid is borrowed from Aramaic and means "festival." The Arabic word fitr, on the other hand, is "breaking the fast." The Turks call this holiday Seker Bayramı, the Tatars Uraza-Bayram, the Bosnians Ramazan Bayram, the Albanians Fitër Bayram , and so on - each nation in its own language.
The holiday of Eid al-Fitr is the second most important Muslim holiday. It begins on the first day of the 10th month of Shalal, at the end of the fasting in the 9th month of Ramadan. The exact dates of the Eid al-Fitr holiday depend on the time of the appearance of the new moon in the sky. This year it occurred on the evening of May 12 and also ended on the evening of May 13. Next year, the Feast of Breaking the Fast will be celebrated on May 2. Muslims mark their holidays according to the lunar calendar, making the Islamic year not 365 but 354 days long. Thus, the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, like other holidays, moves by 11 days each year, and either 10 or 12 days in leap years.
The tradition of celebrating the end of the fast was established by the Prophet Muhammad in 624. Based on the phases of the moon, the Muslim calendar begins with Muhammad's exodus from Mecca to Medina, which happened in 622 according to the Gregorian calendar. According to the Muslim calendar, we now have the year 1442. There is no error in this calculation, because due to the shorter Muslim year, the initial difference of 622 years has decreased to 579.
The Feast of the Breaking of the Fast is a symbol of rebirth, of spiritual elevation; after all, faithful Muslims throughout the month of Ramadan fasted, devoted their free time to studying the Quran, and tried to fulfill as many noble works and deeds as possible. The holiday sums up, one might say, all the work done during the month of Ramadan.
The holy month
Ramadan is the holy month of fasting and spiritual purification in Muslims; the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed. Among the 12 months of the lunar calendar by which Muslims around the world live, month 9 is the most important and honorable. It counts 29 or 30 days. With its arrival, every Muslim should begin fasting, as well as fulfill a number of necessary preparations and religious rituals.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and should be strictly observed from morning to evening prayer. In Islam, this form of worship is intended to bring the faithful closer to Allah. When the Prophet Muhammad was asked what conduct was best, he replied that fasting - because nothing compares to it.
During Ramadan, faithful Muslims refrain from eating food. Two nightly meals are prescribed: iftar - the first meal after sunset, and suhur - the last meal before dawn. The purpose of fasting is to purify a person from vices and passions. Refraining from evil desires during the fasting period helps achieve purity of actions throughout life.
Feast of breaking the fast
Ramadan ends with a major holiday - Eid al-Fitr. On this day, Muslims should indulge in reflection on spiritual values and thoughts about life during the fasting period. The day of Eid al-Fitr is considered a holiday of salvation from hell, as well as a day of love and friendly gestures. On this day, the underprivileged are visited and the elderly are cared for.
The holiday begins after evening prayer. A Muslim should spend the night before the holiday praying for Allah's blessing and reading the Quran to the glory of the Almighty. On the feast day, one should take a bath and wear festive, clean clothes before going to the mosque. Muslims follow the example of the Prophet, who used scented clothes on festive days, as well as on Fridays.
The faithful are required to arrive at the mosque in advance to take a seat at the front. On the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, one usually eats something sweet, preferably an odd number of dates, before going to the mosque. On this day it is essential to give alms, greet friends, visit relatives and neighbors, and receive guests. Celebrations are intertwined with spiritual improvement and good deeds.
The festive tradition of Eid al-Fitr
Until the coming of the holiday, Muslims do general cleaning of their homes, household rooms and outbuildings. They bring household pets into order, wash and clean them. The faithful begin the work four days before the celebration.
In order to welcome Eid al-Fitr as they should, Muslims buy food, new household items and kitchen utensils. They try to renovate and beautify their homes. New covers, tablecloths, carpets, even furniture are in motion.
On the day of the holiday, Muslims give each other gifts, neighbors exchange delicacies. It is essential to gather with relatives on this day and not let anyone out of the house. According to old beliefs, on this blessed day the souls of the dead come to the apartment. After the service is held and the ritual prayer is said in the mosque, the faithful go to the graves of Islamic saints and the cemetery to honor their deceased relatives. Families in which someone has died in the past year invite the mullah, all relatives and loved ones to the memorial table.
The Eid al-Fitr celebration does not end with the coming of night, but on the contrary, it continues for three days. It is full of joy, singing and dancing. By spending these days in a joyful mood, Muslims hope that the whole year will be full of joy and happiness.
Christmas refreshments
The most important feature of the festive table during the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast is that it should be overflowing with food, and the guests should be satisfied and grateful to their hosts. On this holiday it is accepted to invite neighbors - followers of other religions - to pray together.
The Christmas table of each Muslim country depends on national traditions. In Dagestan, for example, an indispensable dish will be pilaf with mutton, in Tatarstan they bake blinis, and in Saudi Arabia they eat sweets and fresh fruit from the morning.
What to do if the fast is violated?
In Islam, there is a distinction between knowingly violating the rules of Ramadan and out of necessity or through forgetfulness. If one forgets himself and inadvertently eats something or drinks water, the fast is not considered violated.
If one happens to break the fast due to illness, it can be fulfilled on other days on a day-for-day basis. If it is still not possible to fulfill the fast, the believer should make an offering of a certain amount for each day without fasting, or feed 30 needy people.
If a person, having the ability, would intentionally pervert the obligation to fast, the atonement of guilt would be an uninterrupted fast for 60 days plus one day longer. This can be converted into feeding 60 needy people. The obligation should be fulfilled as soon as possible.
