Eid Mubarak 2018

Salaams everyone. I'm just wishing you all a happy Eid (Eid = "celebration" and Mubarak = "blessed").

For context, we just finished fasting the month of Ramadan. The fasting consists of no food or drink, no cursing, no sex, no negativity, etc from sunrise to sunset of each day. There are a lot of other religious elements to Ramadan which may or may not be mandated depending on your denomination and culture, including additional night prayers, additional acts of charity, additional readings of the Qur'an and other scriptures, preparing banquets food to help others break their fasts, etc. For example, in my family, it was always a tradition for each of us to read the entire Qur'an at least once before month's end.

There are plenty of reasons why we fast during Ramadan, including learning hunger in order to better empathize with the needy. But the main reason we fast is because of this (from 2:183-185, Pickthall translation):

183. O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);

184. (Fast) a certain number of days; and (for) him who is sick among you, or on a journey, (the same) number of other days; and for those who can afford it there is a ransom: the feeding of a man in need - but whoso doeth good of his own accord, it is better for him: and that ye fast is better for you if ye did but know -

185. The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.

Eid al-Fitr (the celebration of breaking the fast) begins directly after the last day of the month of Ramadan, which is the first day of the next month (called Shawwal). We usually break our fast at sunset of the last day of Ramadan with greetings of "Eid Mubarak!" and may even give out gifts then. However, the Eid's length depends on the culture, with some only observing it for one day, some 3 days, etc. It usually consists of a huge Eid congregation and prayer on the morning of the first day of Shawwal (which is this morning & it'll be around 7-10am). Then it's usually followed by a banquet and a bunch of different voluntary events throughout the community, sometimes lasting for days.

For examples, my Dad and his associates (Imams in a small city) usually rent out a small convention center to hold their Eid al-Fitr prayers and congregations. And virtually all of the Muslims there will come together there or at a separate mosque's Eid prayers. But the metropolis where I'm staying in now has such a large Muslim population that there can be a half dozen or so major sites for the prayers and congregations. The one I usually go to includes Muslims from virtually all walks of life, from Saudis, Somalis, and Chinese Muslims to African Americans, European Americans, and Nigerian Muslims. I like the way that you can tell where a lot of the Muslims are originally from or tell their denominations by the clothing they wear, the way they pray, and/or the way they greet you.

Hmmm... trying to remember if there's anything I'm missing. Ummm, there are additional scriptures that encourage us to fast an additional 6 days during the month of Shawwal for even more blessings, though we can't fast on the day(s) of the Eid. And uhhh, there are usually a lot of different Eid events for the kids in the community. Oh yeah, and one of our forms of required charity must be paid before the Eid prayers begin. Ok, that's all I've got for now. My brain hurts lol.

Anyway, Eid Mubarak everyone.

Always interesting to learn something new
Did Mubarak to you and yours as well

Eid Mubarak to you and your whānau family. May you all be blessed.

Wheres the religion where ceremonies have EXTRA food,drinking, cursing and sex?

Ah well. Happy holidays.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

Eid Mubarak to you and your family. Now go eat

Thanks for sharing your customs. It's nice to put human faces on a religion a lot of us are taught to revile.

Ahhh this explains why this has been all over WeChat here in China today from the muslim minority groups. I had no idea it was connected to Ramadan.

Thanks for the enlightenment.

a reply to: Cloudbuster
a reply to: Raggedyman

Thanks. Just got back from Eid prayers. I wish I could share the experience w/more of you. All of the divisions you see on tv simply don't exist there. Complete strangers from every walk of life shaking hands, praying together, eating together, etc. Good stuff (sniff sniff). It always makes we want to get more involved in the community.

a reply to: Whoisjohngalt

I think that's hedonism you're thinking of LOL. Though let's not get it twisted, the sisters prepare some amazing feasts. The guys can cook too, but the ladies take it to another level. I'll never forget one year when I was trying to volunteer to bring food, utensils, or the such, but the Somalian sisters simply insisted that I just bring myself and it would be fine. They make you feel like family even when you're not.

a reply to: JDmOKI

Haha, one step ahead of you! Though honestly, the stomach & appetite shrink so much during Ramadan that I can only handle small snacks/appetizers and drinks right now.

a reply to: JerryMH

No problem. There will always be divisions between humans. If not over religion and ethnic groups, then over political views, economic views, and sports teams. But at the end of the day, we all laugh, pout, get grumpy, get sad, get sick, get our hearts broken, try to find a rebound, etc.

No demographic is perfect and no demographic is completely bad, either. We're just humans dealing with life. That's actually one reason why I like going to large mosques. the huge variety of demographics gives visual proof that our differences are usually superficial or insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

a reply to: SpartanStoic

Yeah, there are 2 different Eids. Eid al-Fitr is the celebration after Ramadan's end (aka this one) and then Eid al-Adha is basically in remembrance of the Prophet Abraham's near sacrifice of his son. In theory, all Abrahamic religions could recognize Eid al-Adha, but I don't think they do.

But this one is by far the most popular one; it's pretty much the Islamic equivalent of Christmas celebrations. We're not supposed to work during the Eid observance days either, but landlords and bills don't wait for anyone.

When Jesus fasted, that is when Satan came to tempt him.

We can conclude fasting is used for weakening the human condition to make it susceptible to temptation. You are inviting the devil, how's that supposed to be a good thing?

a reply to: TinfoilTP

But then paul said that suffering produces perseverance in romans 5:3

originally posted by: Whoisjohngalt
a reply to: TinfoilTP

But then paul said that suffering produces perseverance in romans 5:3

Self inflicted suffering is not really suffering because you can end the suffering at any time, you are in control.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

Fasting is scientifically proven to reduce incidence of diseases including cancer cell formation and has a host of other benefits.

I do it once a week and have no symptoms of physical weakness from it. I still run 5km on the day I fast and the following.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

Happy Eid al-Fitr to you and your family.

Is there any special meal for guest?

originally posted by: SpartanStoic
a reply to: TinfoilTP

Fasting is scientifically proven to reduce incidence of diseases including cancer cell formation and has a host of other benefits.

I do it once a week and have no symptoms of physical weakness from it. I still run 5km on the day I fast and the following.

Them starving kids in Haiti and Africa got it way better than kids in America then, stop the UN aid relief, it is interfering with their scientifically approved fasting.

originally posted by: TinfoilTP

originally posted by: Whoisjohngalt
a reply to: TinfoilTP

But then paul said that suffering produces perseverance in romans 5:3

Self inflicted suffering is not really suffering because you can end the suffering at any time, you are in control.

But all of pauls suffering was self inflicted. Or the suffering of jesus. Jesus could have at any time abandoned his teaching and life and had no suffering. Saul could have said "man, that was a gnarly heat stroke. Better go collect some more taxes and beat some radicals".
Suffering being self inflicted is what makes it noble, usually. It demonstrates the strengths of a persons conviction. The arbitrariness of it can be argued, but still.
If you are just suffering due to a situation, well, you're kinda just a shlemiel.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

My husband has just returned from a Eid Mubarak celebration with his friends. I am not religious but fully encourage my husband. I have never had a religion. Salamat makan. Happy eating bahasa lingo.