Eid Mubarak!

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Muslims all over the world will be waking up early this Monday [or Tuesday] morning and making their way to prayer in celebration of Eid ul-Fitr.

It is a joyous occasion with important religious significance. Happiness is observed at attaining spiritual uplift after a month of fasting. Muslims dress in holiday attire. After attending the special congregational prayer in the morning, worshippers greet and embrace each other in a spirit of peace, love, and brotherhood. Visiting friends and relatives is common.

For Muslims, Eid ul-Fitr is a joyful celebration of the achievement of enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking God for the help and strength that they believe he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control.[wiki]

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p>Eid morning childhood memories for me are littered with 6am wake up calls, new colorful outfits, fresh warm rashagallas quickly stuffed in mouths and static-y arabic suras blasting through the tape deck in the family car as we made our way to the 8am morning prayer. Prayers were held in a huge hangar at the Fairplex – otherwise home to the LA County Fair – but on this morning, it was always home to thousands of Muslims from all across Southern California coming together in Eid solidarity. While my father went with the men folks one way, we women would enter through another, taking shoes off and keeping an eye out for family friends. As we lay down our prayer mats amongst a colorful sea of satin, sparkles, and smiles, you could hear Eid greetings being murmured in Urdu, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, and Malay all around. The sound system would crackle, there would be a slight pause in the crowd, and then azan (the call to prayer) could be heard through the speakers. We would all rise, stand shoulder to shoulder, a holy hush would fall over the crowd and Eid prayers would begin…

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p>I have always loved Eid-ul-Fitr, more so than the other Eid, because this one marked the end of fasting for Ramadan. The day is spent reflecting on the success of fasting, the feeling like I had accomplished something. I had resisted food/ temptation/ indulgence/ profanity/ haraam for a whole month, and hoped that I could hang on to that spirituality, until the next Ramadan came along. Of course, it is also a day to spend in celebration with family, which for us always involves an inordinate amount of chaat puti, puris, goat curry, and rashmali.

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p>Sadly, as I researched for this piece, the stories I found were somber – attacks on Iraqi Ramadan shoppers, an exploding fruit cart killed nine in Pakistan, the possible use of spy planes over Eid prayer. I didn’t want to ignore those stories altogether, but I did want to shine a positive light on what Eid means to millions of Muslims around the world. But these stories are a reminder, at least for me, to pray for the defeat of ‘evil-doers’ everywhere in my Eid prayers today.

Hopefully everyone in the mutiny had a wonderful Ramadan. Here’s to wishing everyone an Eid Mubarak!

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About Taz

Taz is an activist, organizer and writer based in California. She is the founder of South Asian American Voting Youth (SAAVY), curates MutinousMindState.tumblr.com and blogs at TazzyStar.blogspot.com. Follow her at twitter.com/tazzystar

65 thoughts on “Eid Mubarak!”

  2. Ah! Here we go. I thought it was Eid! Eid Mubarak, Taz and the rest of the Mutiny!Enjoy your feasting, and congratulations on your month’s accomplishment!

  3. For shame! Why anyone would want to spy on the followers of the religion of peace is beyond me.

    Gazsi

  5. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity.

    What a beautiful holiday it is, then. The world could use more of all of the above.

    But these stories are a reminder, at least for me, to pray for the defeat of ‘evil-doers’ everywhere in my Eid prayers today.

    I pray for the same. Eid Mubarak, Taz, to you and every other mutineer who celebrates it.

  9. While my father went with the men folks one way, we women would enter through another, taking shoes off and keeping an eye out for family friends. As we lay down our prayer mats amongst a colorful sea of satin, sparkles, and smiles, you could hear Eid greetings being murmured in Urdu, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, and Malay all around. The sound system would crackle, there would be a slight pause in the crowd, and then azan (the call to prayer) could be heard through the speakers. We would all rise, stand shoulder to shoulder, a holy hush would fall over the crowd and Eid prayers would begin…

    I think I might check out the action at one of the local masjids. Its been so long since I last attended one of these, I cant even remember how they were anymore. Also whats up with Ismat and other peeps celebrating Eid on Tuesday. I thought the ISNA led Fiqa Council has designated ‘Monday’ as Eid.

  10. Eid Mubarak! It isn’t till tomorrow where I am, but eagerly anticipated – particularly (if you’ll forgive these very haram sentiments from a non-Muslim) as the bars are finally reopening, teehee. I love the festivity and all the special sweets, and the special concerts, recitations and giving to charity in Ramadan. It’s been nice to have Diwali and Eid ul-Fitr fall just days apart this year and last year

  12. Congratulations and have an excellent one! One of my neighbours are a Pakistani family and the little daughter has been boasting about her special trendy Eid clothes for the last week!

  17. Sounds like a beautiful holiday. It’s bittersweet to learn of the roots of major religious holidays because there are such lovely stories behind many of them, yet so many “believers” seem to disregard and ignore those good intentions when it comes to actual practice. Regardless, best wishes to all who are celebrating. Eid Mubarak!

  18. Eid Mubarak/ Happy Ramzan ( I cant bring myself to say Ramadan on a South Asian blog).

    Three hugs to everyone.

  20. Eid Mubarak to all that celebrate. I hope it was a wonderful month of penance. Ramzan brings back memories of being in Mahim (Mumbai) where I grew up. We had a masjid very close by and the call for prayer would wake everyone up early. It was pretty intense to watch people pretty much drop everywhere and pray in my area. For someone who doesn’t ever pray I find it exhilirating to watch other people pray in unison.

  22. Eid Mubarak to all, hasnt it been the most festive couple of weeks! 🙂 Almost feel like dancing around singing ’tis the season to be jolly’

  23. Eid Mubarak to all!

    I hope you have a beautiful day with your family and/or loved ones, and that those of you who observed ramadhan gained the beauty and benefits from it (Inshallah). Either way, peace and love to all! 🙂

  25. I had resisted food/ temptation/ indulgence/ profanity/ haraam for a whole month

    Yeah, but were you nice all month? Oh snap, whether you were or not, you don’t have to be nice to me now. Uh oh …

  27. I had resisted food/ temptation/ indulgence/ profanity/ haraam for a whole month Yeah, but were you nice all month? Oh snap, whether you were or not, you don’t have to be nice to me now. Uh oh …

    First of all- I can’t picture you sayin’ “oh, snap.”

    Second of all – looks like you are right… 😉

  29. Also whats up with Ismat and other peeps celebrating Eid on Tuesday. I thought the ISNA led Fiqa Council has designated ‘Monday’ as Eid.
    Good question. I’m an Ahmadi Muslim; our community sets the date of Eid ahead of time because science and technology has progressed enough that we can predict with accuracy the sighting of the new moon.

    Not my area of expertise, but is it also a Sunni-Shia thing ? On NPR this morning Jamie Tarabay said that some Iraqis (Sunni) were delaying celebrating the end of Ramadan until after the Shia Eid incase they were killed for celebrating publicly too early (1:30 into the clip).

  30. Not my area of expertise, but is it also a Sunni-Shia thing ? On NPR this morning Jamie Tarabay said that some Iraqis (Sunni) were delaying celebrating the end of Ramadan until after the Shia Eid incase they were killed for celebrating publicly too early (1:30 into the clip).

    I can’t speak on Sunnis or Shi’ites, as I am neither, though Muslims killing other Muslims for celebrating Eid too early is so sad and so atrocious. Goes against the basic teachings of Islam and all logic/reason. Sigh.

  32. Over the past few years I have become acquainted with quite a few Iranians, and although most of them are not practicing Muslims, they celebrate Eid just like everyone else. Eid Mubarak to everyone!

  33. eid mubarak! as i’m a total south indian hindu, i have no idea what people do on eid! what is a typical celebration like? sorry to be so ignorant!!

  34. The start of Eid depends on the sighting of the new moon – though technically religious leaders are supposed to see it with their eyes, in practice these days govt authorities use astronomical calculations to figure out what day the new moon should appear in the sky where they are, and announce this several days in advance so that there isn’t last minute uncertainty about which day is a holiday. This leaves a wee bit of room for judgement calls and convenience, and so it’s also an opportunity for rival religious leaders in a place like Iraq to stake out their differences. I believe that since the US invasion Shia leaders in Iraq have regularly declared the date of the Eid a day apart from the Sunni Eid to mark out their independence (earlier under Saddam the state declared the one date and that was it). It could well be that in the current climate of sectarian violence in Iraq folks would prefer not to make a big public show of their Sunni or Shia affiliation…

  35. Good question. I’m an Ahmadi Muslim; our community sets the date of Eid ahead of time because science and technology has progressed enough that we can predict with accuracy the sighting of the new moon.

    Good! As I understand, ISNA has done the same thing as well.

  36. Yes — In an attempt to resolve this long-festering issue, ISNA designated Eid as Monday. And promptly, an anti-ISNA faction declared Eid to be on Tuesday. Predictable.

  42. Ismat:

    Religion and logic are nearly exclusive of one another. Hence the beheading in the name of God and whatnot.

    Gazsi

  43. Hi Gazsi! I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree. I think it’s awfully flawed logic to blame religion for people’s idiocy–who are most certainly devoid of logic when they commit the heinous crimes you allude to.

    Anyway, that’s not why I came back here tonight. When I was in high school, the spare keys to my dad’s car were attached to a kitchsy, multi-colored keychain that said “EID MUBARAK” on it in all caps. Don’t ask me where my dad got it. Anyway, I was driving with some of my friends in my dad’s car one day, when one exclaimed, “Who’s Ed Moo-ba-rack?!” upon seeing my the keychain. Inevitably, not an Eid goes by without the name “Ed Moo-ba-rack” circling through my head. Silly, I know, but who else could I share this with but the mutineers?

  44. happy eid mubarak, eventhough i don’t celebrate it! sal mubarak to all you gujurathis out there!!

  45. My favorite Eid memory from childhood is listening to my father’s khutba on the drive from the masjid to the first home visted. He has a beautifully complex perspective on Islam and Eid always inspires his inner poet to meander paths less traveled.

    Also enjoyable: scoping out the boys from behind our once-a-year veils. Which, I realize now, provided much less cover than we had banked on.

    And! home-made Bengali mishti!

    Eid Mubarak!

  49. Religion and logic are nearly exclusive of one another. Hence the beheading in the name of God and whatnot.

    You can remove religion/language/race barriers and people will still be beheading each other. They’ll just find something else to divide them.