Showing posts with label Eid Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eid Party. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

The 'Bid'ah' of Eid Parties


In his Friday Sermon of 05 July 2019~ 02 Dhul-Qaddah 1440 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius comprehensively examines a contemporary practice among sections of Muslims, including Ahmadis of Mauritius: the celebration of religious festivals in the manner and style of other communities and peoples. In adopting 'modern ways' of branding Muslim festivals, the celebrationists are blindly following misguided, hedonistic elitism; seriously eroding the sanctity of the Islamic Pathway as taught by the Holy Prophet (sa) through his own sacred practices at such times. Apart from being a deviant practice (Bid'ah), such grand parties also dilute attention away from important interests and issues of the community. Through a sociological and political analysis also of the phenomenon of 'Eid Parties' in Mauritius, the Imam of the Era (atba) provides important insights and lessons to liberate common folks from being puppets in the hands of  wrong-headed elitists and the wily politicians of our societies. 

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 


Celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr

It is a shame to see the Muslim Community organising big parties and dinners and labelling them all as “Eid Party” after the month of Ramadan. After this [blessed] month, there is the month of Shawwal, and Eid-ul-Fitr marks the start of Shawwal on its very first day. Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of rejoice for all believers found in the Muslim Community; it is a day when Allah gives permission to the believers to eat, drink and be happy, and moreover to share this happiness with the family and also the non-Muslim neighbours and friends. Thus, on this occasion, vermicelli and cakes are distributed, and sometimes, the Briani [a special rice and meat dish] as well.

Therefore, Eid-ul-Fitr’s actual duration is one day of joy bestowed to us, believers, by Allah after the Ramadan, a month-long of sacrifice. Eid-ul-Fitr is for those who have obeyed the Creator and have done a lot of sacrifice for the cause of Allah. And after this time-frame of about 29 or 30 days, you [i.e. the true believers] have obeyed Allah, and have stayed away from all licit things which became restricted and forbidden during the fasting time from early morning before dawn till sunset. When Allah said: “Obey Me”, you have obeyed and sacrificed, and spent much time in Ibadat (Worship), Zikr (Remembrance of Allah), Tilawat Quran (Recitation of the Holy Quran), Duahs (invocations to Allah), Farz & Nafl Salat/ Namaz (Obligatory & Voluntary prayers), giving away charity, eating little, and sleeping less, and maximizing your time in such acts of worships.

So, after the Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr is a day when Allah (swt) manifests His pleasure for His loyal servants, those who showed complete obedience to Him, their Creator. Eid-ul-Fitr is thus not only a day of rejoice and a day for the distribution of cakes and to eat and drink, but it is also an opportunity to forget family tiffs and rancour and to purify ourselves, our souls by giving away the Sadaqat-i-Fitr.

It is narrated from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days (fasting) of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted a lifetime.” (Muslim)