Major Muslim Festivals and Occasions.
Establishment of Two Eids
Anas bin Malik narrated that when the Prophet (pbuh) came to Madinah, the people had two days of amusement. He told them“Allah has replaced them with two better days: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr”
The Day of Celebration
The Prophet (pbuh) said that these two Eids are distinctive to Muslims.
Arabic
يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، إِنَّ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ عِيدًا، وَهَذَا عِيدُنَا
Translation
“O Abu Bakr, every people has a festival, and this is our festival.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 952].
Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast):
Celebrated at the end of Ramadan (the holy month of fasting),
this three-day festival involves special prayers, wearing new clothes, giving gifts
to children, and charity.
Eid ul-Fitr follows Ramadan which takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic
(lunar) calendar. This means Eid ul-Fitr comes before Eid ul-Adha and
therefore is the first of the Eids. The last 10 days of Ramadan is said
to bring with it a thousand months’ worth of blessings, and there’s no better way
to follow the month of fasting and charitable giving than with Eid celebrations.
Officially, Eid ul-Fitr celebrations commence on
the first day of Shawwal – the 10th month of the year.
The Importance Of Giving Zakat Al-Fitr
Arabic
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: “فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ طُهْرَةً لِلصَّائِمِ مِنَ اللَّغْوِ وَالرَّفَثِ وَطُعْمَةً لِلْمَسَاكِينِ، فَمَنْ أَدَّاهَا قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهِيَ زَكَاةٌ مَقْبُولَةٌ،وَمَنْ أَدَّاهَا بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهِيَ صَدَقَةٌ مِنَ الصَّدَقَاتِ
Translation
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) related: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) enjoined Zakat al-Fitr as a purifying for the fasting person from vain speech and obscenities, and nourishment for the poor. Whoever gives it before the prayer, it is good zakah, and whoever gives it following the prayer, it is plain charity.” (Sunan Abi Dawood 1609, Hasan by Al-Albani)
Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice):
Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice):
Occurs during the Hajj pilgrimage, lasting four days to commemorate
Prophet Abraham’s (Ibrahim) obedience to God.
It involves sacrificing an animal (sheep or goat) and sharing
the meat with family, friends, and the poor.
f Sacrifice) is a major three-to-four-day Islamic holiday honoring
Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son,
Ismail, out of obedience to Allah, before a ram was provided instead.
Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is a major holiday
celebrated by Muslims worldwide for three to four days.
Most Muslims will attend the special prayers held at
major mosques and Islamic centers in the United States and throughout the world.
Muslims usually wear new clothes and some exchange gifts.
Hadith on Eid ul-Adha
Priority of Prayer
The Prophet (PBUH) said”The first thing we will do on this day (Eid al-Adha) is to offer the (`Id) prayer and then return to slaughter the sacrifice
Arabic
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ الإِيَامِيِّ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا نَبْدَأُ بِهِ فِي يَوْمِنَا هَذَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ ثُمَّ نَرْجِعَ فَنَنْحَرَ، مَنْ فَعَلَهُ فَقَدْ أَصَابَ سُنَّتَنَا، وَمَنْ ذَبَحَ قَبْلُ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ لَحْمٌ قَدَّمَهُ لأَهْلِهِ، لَيْسَ مِنَ النُّسُكِ فِي شَىْءٍ ”. فَقَامَ أَبُو بُرْدَةَ بْنُ نِيَارٍ وَقَدْ ذَبَحَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ عِنْدِي جَذَعَةً. فَقَالَ ” اذْبَحْهَا وَلَنْ تَجْزِيَ عَنْ أَحَدٍ بَعْدَكَ ”. قَالَ مُطَرِّفٌ عَنْ عَامِرٍ عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” مَنْ ذَبَحَ بَعْدَ الصَّلاَةِ تَمَّ نُسُكُهُ، وَأَصَابَ سُنَّةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ”.
Translation
The Prophet (SAW) said (on the day of Idal-Adha), “The first thing we will do on this day of ours, is to offer the (`Id) prayer and then return to slaughter the sacrifice. Whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (tradition), and whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) before the prayer, what he offered was just meat he presented to his family, and that will not be considered as Nusak (sacrifice).” (On hearing that) Abu Burda bin Niyar got up, for he had slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer, and said, “I have got a six month old ram.” The Prophet (SAW) said, ‘Slaughter it (as a sacrifice) but it will not be sufficient for any-one else (as a sacrifice after you). Al-Bara’ added: The Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) after the prayer, he slaughtered it at the right time and followed the tradition of the Muslims.”