Eid

Alhamedelllah hamadan kathereen mubarakan

These days people around us are celebrating the so called holidays. Whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas or the New Year. As Muslims we know that these are not Holy days.. they are man-made occasions.... Occasions for people to shop and spend money..

As Muslims we know and believe that Allah (SWT) has created us to worship him.. The results of this act of worship is happiness and celebration in this world and in the hereafter...

An example is in Al-Zumur (39:73-75)

وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاؤُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ


وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُ وَأَوْرَثَنَا الْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَاء فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِين


وَتَرَى الْمَلَائِكَةَ حَافِّينَ مِنْ حَوْلِ الْعَرْشِ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْحَقِّ
وَقِيلَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

also in Hud (11:105)

يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِيٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ


We praise and thank Allah everyday, at least 17 times every day and not once a year on the last Thursday of November.

So what holidays has Allah (SWT) prescribed for us. Eid Fitr and Eid Adha. Eid Fitr is a celebration of completing the fasting of Ramadan. Completing a training program, training in Taqwa... a training mixed with an act of worship that only Allah knows its sincerity and an act which has no Riyaa and show-off in it. Eid Adha is a celebration of overcoming Shaytan be commemorating Prophet Ibrahim and the tests he went through - sacrificing his son for the sake of Allah, depositing his family in a valley with no life and plants at Mekka - it also recognizes the greatness of Allah and the unity of the believers on the day of Arafa...

Since Allah prescribed Eid to us, he did not leave us alone for each person to recognize it his or her own way..

Eid prayer was prescribed on the first year of Hijra and it is a confirmed sunna, the Prophet performed it all the time and order men and women to perform it.

It is recommended to wash and put Musk or fragrance on that day, and to wear the best, cleanest and newest of garments. It is also recommended that one eat a few dates or equivalent before heading to the prayer in Eid Fitr, in Eid Adha it is better to wait till after prayer to eat from the slaughtered animal.

It is recommended to perform the prayer in the open.. in the outskirts of the city, except for Makkah.. it should be performed in the Masjid Al haram.

Childen and women are encouraged to attend even the ones who have the period, the old, the disabled.. everyone so everyone can have a share in the joy of that day.. the women with period will not join the prayer.. but will listen to the Khutba

The Prophet (PBUH) would go from a different direction than the one he took to the Masjid on his way back from the Masjid or prayer area.

The prayer will be conducted between the time the sun is about about 3 meters or 10 feet till time of thuhr. There is no athan or iqama for the prayer.. Muslims however praise Allah by doing takbeer..

The prayer is 2 rakkas, in the first rakaa the first qiyaam is 7 takbeera, in the second rakka the first qiyaam is 5 takbeera..

Afer the prayer there is a short khutba...

Eid Adha is approaching us it will be either 12/19 or 12/20... The first 10 days of Thul Hijja are days of blessings and great reward...

The Prophet (PBUH) said in a hadith, the meaning of "There is not a group of days that are more dear to Allah than these 10 days.. the companions asked not even the struggle in the way of Allah.. he replied .. not even the struggle in the way of Allah.. except for a man who went out for the cause of Allah with his soul and all his wealth and did not come back with any of it".

Eid Adha is a glorification of Allah and submission to Allah.. it is also a reflection on the day of judgment.. Chapter of Al Haj opens with (22:1-2)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ

يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُم بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ


and in (22:26-30)

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ



لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ


ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَهُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ

ذَلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامُ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ (

also (22:32)

ذَلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ


also (22:32)

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ فَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ

Break ---

Jesus is not the son of God...

Jesus was not born in the winter. Reflect on (19:25)

وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا


فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا


قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا

وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا

وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا


وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا


ذَلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ


مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبْحَانَهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَنُ وَلَدًا (19:88)

لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا (19:89)

تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا (19:90)

أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَنِ وَلَدًا (19:91)

وَمَا يَنبَغِي لِلرَّحْمَنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا (19:92)

إِن كُلُّ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَنِ عَبْدًا (19:93)
لَقَدْ أَحْصَاهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا (19:94)
وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا (19:95)


Jesus did not die, he was raised to Allah (SWT)

وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا (4:157)

We know and love more than anyone else on earth.. the way we do it is by following his teachings ....

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُونوا أَنصَارَ اللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ فَآَمَنَت طَّائِفَةٌ مِّن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَت طَّائِفَةٌ فَأَيَّدْنَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا عَلَى عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا ظَاهِرِينَ (61:14)



Key points:
1. It is not ok to celebrate religious or so called religious events other than what Allah prescribed. It becomes an act of shirk by associating our intellect with Allah's guidance and prescription.

2. Muslims celebrate Eid Fitr and Eid Adha, we dont celebrate the birthday of any Prophets or messengers, not even the Prophet (PBUH).

3. If the Prophet wanted us to celebrate anything else he would have told us. He left us with a complete and perfect way of life.

4. Jesus (PBUH) was not born on Dec 25th, he was born on a hot summer night.

5. What to do if your families celebrate non-Muslim holidays