Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed
The word Eid comes from Arabic; which means frequent coming. Again Eid denotes happiness, joy and pleasure. Again the social connotation of EId directs to festival. Eid-Ul-Fitr is the festival of breaking fasting. This day is celebrated throughout the whole muslim world.
The Eid-ul-Fitr comes after a long one month fasting. A Muslim fast never indicates mere abstaining from food and drinks and sex, and fasting in Islam is never meant for self-torture. Restraint from the animal instincts for food, drink and sex enables the attention of a man or a women to be directed to higher and nobler aspects. Fasting in the light of Islam helps us to overcome lust and thereby sets us at the mouth of the road leading to perfection- perfection to be achieved through prayers and penance, Taqwa and Tarawwih, contemplation and acts of charity, total restraint and abstinence from all evil acts and thoughts.
The festival brings glory and the highest return from God for all the beloved muslims. Its social teaching and significance is very imagable and meaningful. It solidifies and strengthens social harmony, humanity and values in society by extending and exchanging mutual co-operation, collaboration, simplicity, sympathy and brotherhood among the people. So, in this day all people, irrespective of poor and rich come under an umbrella of equal enjoyment. It is so a big day where all muslims throughout the world celebrate it with pomp and grandeur. Purity of our soul comes through Eid and it removes and washes away narrowness and jealousy of mind.
The pleasure of the Eid is so arranged that the hungry and the have-nots can join and share despite their all wants and sorrows. In Islam there is a probation of giving “Zakat” by which discrimination, disparity and injustice will be minimized.
Eid-ul-Fitr, indeed, is no ordinary festival. It is a festival with a difference. It has a definite purpose, a norm to convey, a lesson to teach. None of us can afford to celebrate this extraordinary occasion through extravagance and prodigality, through unbridled fun and frolic, through gaudy and expensive dresses, through spectacular functions and feasts. There can indeed be no Eid-ul-Fitr of any festival in Islam if we forget the unity of mankind under one banner, the universal brotherhood of man, with no distinction between black and white, rich and poor, wise and ignorant, king and slave. There can be no Eid if we cannot forget the artificial differences between haves and have-nots. What is more, there can be no Eid if we fail to feed the hungry destitute, if we fail to cater to the needs of the poverty-stricken multitude. There can really be no Eid if earnest attempts are not made to feed each can every hungry mouth, to clothe each and every hapless nude, to bring succour to the needy, to ensure that the poor and helpless relatives and neighbours and friends are not left unwept, unhon-oured and unsung.
In Eid congregation all people forgetting and forgiving their past ill activities, they submit their humble prayer before God for peace and unity. As a result we see a very heavenly atmosphere in Eid congregation and it becomes a big meeting place with each other. Let us take and treat this festival as a media of our sense and social bondage.
In this Eid our soul demand would be to go the deep essence of Eid-UL-Fitr. So we always become the worshiper of the truth and beauty. Let us promise that we spread the teaching of humanity to all mankind for God’s mercy.
Deputy Director General & Commandant (PRL), Ansar-VDP Academy, Safipur, Gazipur.