Eid - An important Islamic festival

Eid is the most prominent festival celebrated by the followers of Islam in the world. It is celebrated on the first day of Shaw'waal, at the completion of Ramadan.

According to Islamic calendar, Shaw'waal marks the beginning of the 10th month.

Needless to say, the Eid is probably the most joyous day of the year for the entire Islamic community. Eid is the day to say thanks to Allah for everything that he has given and to reiterate the commitment that the path shown by him will be strictly followed. What makes Eid that special is the fact that this tradition was started by none other than Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) himself who had celebrated first Eid with his friends and relatives after the victory in the historical battle of Badr in 624 BC.

Eid in its full form is referred as Eid-ul-Fitr. Fitr means "to break" and therefore symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period and of all evil habits. On the day of Eid, an average Muslim family gets up very early and attends special prayers held only for the occasion in big mosques, in large open areas, stadiums or arenas. The prayer is generally short, and is followed by a khutba. The festivities and merriment start after the prayers with visits to the homes of friends and relatives and thanking the Creator for all blessings. Eid is a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties.

With Eid being such a special day in Islam, following are some of the things which a devout Muslim is supposed to do on this day:

1. Take a hair cut (men only).
2. Brush one’s teeth.
3. Cut one’s nails.
4. To take a bath.
5. To wear new clothes or clean clothes.
6. To perform Fajr at a local mosque.
7. To hasten to Eid Ghah.
8. To pay Fitrana.
9. To eat odd numbers of dates before going to Eid Ghah or to eat something sweet.
10. To go to Eid Ghah one way and come back home another.