Things to do for Eid-Ul-Fitr

The day of Eid-Ul-Fitr is the first day of the month of Shawwal. After the intense worship of Allah [SWT] for the whole month of Ramadan, this is a day to celebrate, a day of spreading love and joy and a day to forgive people.

It has been narrated from the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), that the best way of congratulating each other is by saying: “Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum (May Allah accept it from us and from you),”. If anyone greets you with this, you should reply with the same greeting “Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum”. And Allah alone knows the best.

Give Zakat ul Fitr to the needy.

What is Zakat ul Fitr (fitra), when to offer it and what is its purpose?

It is the charity given to the poor at the end of Ramadan, particularly on the night of Eid-ul- Fitr or in its morning before commencement of the Eid prayer. It could also be given one or two days before Eid i.e. on 28, 29th, or on 30th of Ramadan. It is obligatory on every Muslim (minors of the family are also included). The person responsible for the family has to give this charity. For each person in the family, Fitra could be given in the form of 3 kilograms approximately of either wheat, or rice, or barley, or raisins, or dates, or the common staple food of the country. It is preferred to give of the best quality.

Ibn ’Abbas (RAA) narrated, ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) enjoined Zakat-ul-fitr on the one who fasts (i.e. fasted during the month of Ramadan) to purify him from any indecent act or speech and for the purpose of providing food for the needy. It is accepted as Zakah for the person who pays it before the Eid prayer and it is Sadaqah (i.e. voluntary charity) for the person who pays it after the Eid prayer.’ Related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim graded it as Sahih ~ Hadith 651

The poor and the needy, exclusively the orphans and widows deserve it. It ensures that the poor can celebrate the festival of Eid -Ul-Fitr along with the rest of the Ummah.

Let this day of Eid also be a day of forgiving others:

Allah [SWT] says..."Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not love for Allah to forgive you? Allah is Forgiving and Merciful". ~ Surat An-Nur 24:22

So Allah forgives us swiftly the way we forgive our wrong doers.

Allah also says..."Whoever is patient and forgives, verily, that is among the matters of steadfast determination". ~ Surat Ash-Shura 42:43

Important to keep family ties:

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Learn enough about your lineage to facilitate keeping your ties of kinship. For indeed keeping the ties of kinship encourages affection among the relatives, increases the wealth, and increases the lifespan" ~ JAMI AT TIRMIDHI HADITH NO. 1979

Significance of Fasting in the month of Shawwal:

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually. ~ Sahih Muslim 1164

The scholars interpret this Hadith as follows: If a person fasts even after Ramadan, in the month of Shawwal for six days, it is as though the person has fasted for full year. And we can fast any of the six days from the whole month of Shawwal. It need not be necessarily six days right after Eid.

We need to strive to continue doing most of the good stuff we have been doing through out Ramadan for the rest of the year. Even after Ramadan ends, we need to take care of few things for the rest of the year.

We need to be careful of Bid'ah (innovations) in our religion:

On the Day of Judgement, every person is questioned for his deeds individually. Hence we need to be very careful of what we do every day throughout the year.

Allah says..."Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger". ~ Surah Isra 17:15

On the authority of the mother of the faithful, Aisha (ra), who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who innovates something in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) that is not of it will have it rejected (by Allah).” [Bukhari & Muslim] In another version in Muslim it reads: “He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected (by Allah).”

~ 40 Hadith Nawawi 5

Purpose for us to live on this Earth:

Our only purpose to live is to please Allah Azwajal. We should make the most of the opportunity of being alive, healthy and young, and spend our lives worshiping Allah and obeying Him.

As Allah says..." And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell‑fire and will be admitted to Paradise)” ~Surah al-Ahzaab 33:71

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)’”

~Surah al-An’aam 6:162

The one who works for this world will get the world, who works for the hereafter will get the hereafter.

To know the sign of an accepted Ramadhan, please watch this interesting you-tube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=814h4Q-ddO8