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Festivities are part of
the natural behaviour of mankind and have been practiced throughout human
history for a variety of reasons. Festivities could be for mere pleasure or to
express joy for blessings granted to a community. The ancient Egyptians used to
celebrate their happiness when the Nile rose and flowed with vigour or at the
onset of spring when flowers blossomed.
Nowadays communities
may commemorate inspiring occasions such as an independence day, to mark some
constitutional achievement or to honour and pay homage to inspiring
personalities.
Islam lays strong claim
to be the religion of man in its uncorrupted and natural state. Its festivities
are linked to the fulfilment of duties and the satisfaction derived therefrom.
They are not expressed in joyful abandon and merriment with activities [such as
alcohol consumption] that do harm and injury to the individual and society.
Eid-Ul-Fitr marks the advent of the first day that Muslims resume a natural course of living after a month of great hardship, devotion, self-discipline and self-denial. The day is accompanied by a deep sense of gratification for two reasons. Firstly, that they have fulfilled an honourable duty in fasting during the month of Ramadan thereby manifesting their obedience to Allah and following the Holy Prophet’s customs. Secondly, that they have hope of reward in the hereafter for good done in this blessed month. The Prophet (pbuh) is quoted as having said: “The fasting believer has two moments of happiness: the first at the time of breaking the fast and the second when he is in the presence of the Almighty [i.e. In prayer and in the life to come].” [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, An-Nasaï, Ibn Majah, Mishkaat]
The word Eid in fact
signifies recurring happiness. The word ‘fitr’ has the basic meaning of
beginning. From it is derived the word ‘fitrah’ meaning nature and ‘iftar’
which means the breaking of the fast. Eid-ul-Fitr is thus the festival
of the breaking of the fast, a return to the normal or natural course of living
and fulfilling the requirements of nature. This is the day of reward.
Muslims need to
appreciate and grasp the true meaning of this occasion. Giving Sadaqat-ul-Fitr
or charity is the first requirement to be discharged on this day. This means
that remembering the less fortunate and sharing with them on this occasion comes even before communion with Allah in prayer.
We need to be aware of this especially at these times when there is so much
suffering in the world: poverty and famine, as well as dangerous illnesses, and
the fact that people are plagued by insecurity and dislocation caused by war
and conflict, by corruption and the uncertainties of life.
The
congregational prayer of Eid which follows is an opportunity for Muslims to
express feelings of thanksgiving and a sense of unity. This is important
especially when we bear in mind the state of the Ummah as it is today
plagued with internal strife and dissension. If Ramadan has meant anything to
us we should now be in a better position to create more healthy and stable
communities united in our beliefs and aspirations and working together towards
common goaIs.
Going
to and from the places of prayer on Eid day is a declaration that the Muslims
are proud of their identity which is expressed in the motto of the day: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa-Ilaaha Illallah,
wal-laahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar wa lillaahi-l hamd. [God is Most Great, God is Most Great. There
is no god but Allah. God is Most Great. God is Most Great, and to God belongs
all praise and thanks].
Let
our repetition of these words remind us that it is God alone whom we worship,
to whom we give thanks for His bounties and blessings, and to Whom we direct
our cries for help.
The
relationship between faith and practice is a very close one. We cannot break or
disrupt it. When someone has faith in Allah and in the Day of Judgement and
believes in the message of the prophets, then he has an incentive to please his
Lord, to be happy to return to Him and to keep to the straight path.
Indeed,
he who has courage will be prepared to risk his life in dangerous situations;
he who is truthful by nature will seek the truth; he who is
generous will spend in charity. In the same way, the true believer will perform his duties as he should. But too many
Muslims do not understand their religion in the right way, so their lives are
unfulfilled and they are dissatisfied.
There
is many a Muslim who assumes that it is quite enough for him to have a Muslim
name and to pronounce the formula of faith thinking that this is sufficient to
protect him even though he has never performed his duties or held back from
sin.
Just
suppose that some people come forward with a constitution which includes a
provision saying that it is not binding on its followers and need not be put
into effect. Such people would be regarded as fools and the originator of the
document would be considered mad.
How
then could we suppose that Islam, the supreme religion, belittles its own
practice? Those who think like this are described by the Qur’an in these words:
“Such as took their religion
for a sport and a pastime and whom the life of
this world beguiled. So this day We have forgotten them even as they forgot the
meeting of this their Day, and denied Our signs.” [Al-Araf 7: 52]
Think
what calamities have befallen the Muslims on account of such false opinions! A
nation which looks upon practice as a trivial matter can never prosper, either
in religion or in worldly matters!
Almighty
Allah has made right action our vocation and the purpose of our lives so that
we should compete in perfecting our actions: this relates to the mystery of
creation and the proof of the Reckoning. God has described Himself in the Qur’an
as: “He who has created life and death that He may try you, which of you is
best in conduct, and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving.” [Al-Mulk 67: 3] Every verse of the Book dealing with
belief includes the command to act rightly or to obey Allah.
We
read in the Quran: “Thus have We sent you (O Prophet) to a nation before
which other nations have passed away, so that you may recite unto them what We
have revealed to you, whilst they deny the most Merciful One.” [Ar-Ra’d 13:
31]
And we
are commanded as Muslims: “Hold fast all of you together to the Covenant of
Allah and do not be divided. And remember the blessings which Allah has
bestowed upon you; how, when you were enemies, He brought your hearts together
and through His blessing you became brothers; and how you were on the brink of
an abyss of fire and He saved you from it.” [Al-Imran 3: 104]
When
we consider what guidance is and what going astray means, then we find that
faith and practice joined together stand on one side and heresy on the other.
The
Qur’an says: “The blind man and the sighted person are not equal, nor are
those who believe and do good works equal with the evil-doers. How little do
you reflect?” [Ghafir 40: 59]
Islam
as a religion is deeply concerned with practical action. The Qur’an speaks of
those who have not attempted the Great Ascent and says: “Ah! What will
convey unto you what the Ascent is? It is to free a slave and, in time of
hunger, to feed an orphan near of kin or some poor person in misery.”
The
Qur’an tells us that a man’s failure to perform good actions proves that there
is emptiness in his heart and that he lacks faith. The Holy Book asks us: “Have
you observed him who denies the Judgement to come? That is the one who
turns away the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the needy.” [Al-Ma’un 107: 2-4]
For
actions to be truly valid they must spring from faith. We read in the Qur’an: “And
whoso does good works and is a believer, his effort will not be rejected. We
record it for him.” [Al-Anbiya 21: 95]
How
can we discard action since action is the very basis of happiness and success?
And when we come to the Judgement, the Qur’an tells us: “The weighing on
that day is the true weighing. As for those, whose scale is heavy, they are the
successful; and as for those whose scale is light, they it is who have lost
their souls because they wronged Our revelations.” [Al-Araf 7 : 9-10]
Remember
how the people of Lot were destroyed for their wickedness, and Shuayb’s people
too because of their dishonesty. Does the Muslim nation expect to be an
exception to this rule and to sin without danger of punishment?
The
Qur’an teaches and warns us through the example of former nations, saying: “Generations
before you did We destroy when they did wrong; their messengers came to them
with clear proofs yet they would not believe. Thus do We deal with the guilty?
Then did We appoint you viceroys on the earth after them, that We might see how
you behave.” [Yunus 10 : 14-15]
So it
is that we are tested, and our actions do not go unobserved. Allah has
addressed Himself to mankind and made clear to us that salvation is not to be
found in hypocrisy or in claims to piety unaccompanied by good actions. The
Qur’an says: “O children of Adam! When messengers of your own come amongst
you narrating to you My revelations, then whosoever refrains from evil and
reforms, no fear shall come upon them, neither shall the grieve.” [Al-Araf
7: 36]
The
Qur’an tells us that the best among the believers call upon Allah saying: “Our
Lord! We heard a caller calling us unto Faith saying ‘Believe in your Lord’ and
so we believed. Our Lord! Forgive us therefore our sins and efface our evil
deeds and let us die the death of the righteous.” [Ali-Imran 3: 194]
Allah,
knowing the sincerity of their hearts accepted their invocation, saying: “I
do not lose sight of the labour of any of you who labours
in My way, be it man or woman. Both are equal in reward. So those of you who
emigrate and are driven from their homes and suffer in My cause, those who
fight and are slain, I shall certainly
efface their sins and I shall certainly bring them into gardens beneath which
rivers flow a reward from Allah, and with Allah is the finest of rewards.” [Ali-Imran 3: 196]
It is
clear then from the Glorious Qur’an that faith and action are always closely
linked and we learn the same lesson from the Sunnah or Example of the Holy
Prophet (pbuh). We should remember the verse from Surah At-Tauba which says: “As
for the first and the foremost of those who have emigrated and those who have
helped them, and those who have followed them in good deeds,
Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him, and He has
made ready for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide
forever. This is the supreme triumph!” [At-Tauba 9: 100]
O you
my disciples! May God be always with you. May He grant you to be prepared for
the final journey as he had prepared the Companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
Beware! This world is transient. Cursed is the life which concerns itself
mainly with material gains and most unfortunate is he who hankers after this
world. If there be such a man among my followers, then he has joined us in
vain, for he can be likened to a withered branch of a tree which cannot bear
fruit, or like the dream of one of my disciples has indicated, such a person is
like an iron which falls from the powerful magnet [i.e. Messenger] which comes
from Allah. That is, the iron connects to the magnet, then falls out, losing
its connection with the magnet.
O you
fortunate ones! Hasten towards me and join my fold for I have come with the
teaching which ensures your salvation. Believe in One God and do not make anyone
His partner from the earth or heaven. God does not forbid you from the use of
material resources but he who relies totally on them is akin to an idolater.
From the earliest times He has been warning you that salvation cannot be
attained except through a pure heart. You must, therefore, become pure-hearted
and discard personal jealousies and hatred. A great number of weaknesses lie
dormant in man, but the basest weakness is arrogance. No one would have been a
non-believer if there had been no arrogance.
Therefore,
make yourself humble of heart and serve your fellow-beings with love. As you
exhort or invite them to paradise you must not ever contemplate causing any
harm to them in this transient world. Observe all the Commandments of God with
His fear in your hearts because you are going to be called to account. When you
stand in Prayer, concentrate on seeking his succour so that He may draw you
towards Himself, and purify your hearts.
Man is
weak by nature. All his weaknesses are removed only through His grace. So long
as man does not get strength from his Creator he cannot get rid of his
weaknesses. Islam does not mean that you may merely be known as Muslims. No, it
fundamentally needs your souls to prostrate in all humility at His threshold
and that you must give precedence to each and every command of your faith over
every worldly affair.
O my
dear disciples! Believe firmly in the fact that the world is now approaching
its end and a radical change has begun to appear. Do not, therefore, deceive
your souls, and turn immediately to attaining perfection in piety and
righteousness. Make the Holy Quran your true guide and acquire true light from
it for your every need. You must not neglect the traditions of the Holy Prophet
(pbuh), either, and must not consider these to be useless. No! These also are
most important and were collected and compiled at the expense of very great
effort and hardship. But beware that when a Hadith happens to clash with the
Holy Quran, disregard it totally so that you may save yourselves from going
astray. God has caused the Holy Quran to reach you in its pristine purity,
therefore, give the greatest importance to the Word of God and let nothing take
precedence over it, because all truth and righteousness are based on it.
Now ponder over the fact how God has furnished
some great signs in support of my claim so that you may determine and judge the
truth and the calibre of him who is inviting you to this pure Deen [i.e.
Islam], and to achieve this purpose, Allah had ordained me to form the Jamaat
Ul Sahih Al Islam which shall distinguish itself from other Jamaats, to bring
the pure Islam. It was THE GRACE OF ALLAH that made me tread the path of
righteousness from the very beginning, and prepared me to arrive to my full
capacity and made me His Khalifa, the Khalifatullah, the Mahdi of this era.
This is a sign for would care to
ponder. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
Once
again, I wish you all Eid-ul-Fitr Mubarak!