Eid ul Fitr is one of Islam’s most important festivals, celebrated on the first day of Shawwal to mark the end of the month of Ramazan. The day starts early with the disbursement of an obligatory contribution, zakat al fitr : prosperous families give away, for each member, at least 3 kg of items such as rice or wheat to the needy. This is followed by the congregational Eid prayer in mosques and open spaces where believers thank the Creator for enabling them to complete the preparatory programme of Ramazan, which brings both spiritual and temporal benefits. The Prophet equated fasting with a shield that protects from evil deeds and helps keep people ethicality intact. The reasoning is that willing abstention from lawful food and water throughout the day for 30 days trains and mentally strengthens a person to avoid unlawful infractions for the next 11 months.
The most significant aspect of the Ramazan training is its social value. The Quran, which was first revealed during the month of Ramazan, indicates (in 2:183) that attaining taqwa through fasting is the main objective. Taqwa is usually rendered as ‘piety’, ‘fear of God’ or ‘God consciousness’. Its correct definition is in 2:177. This verse delinks benevolent uprightness from ritualistic worship and identifies the ‘people of taqwa’ ( muttaqoon ) as those sincere humans who, apart from recognising their Creator, His books and messengers, establish salah (prayer), pay zakat , do not swerve from the path of righteousness even during periods of distress, honour their commitments, and shed their love for wealth by spending it on poor relatives, orphans, indigents, and so on. Eid ul Fitr is not a day for exultation but one on which Muslims emphasise the philanthropic order of Islam.
