I’ve been writing and rewriting this medium post since two days ago, for some reason I can’t put my thoughts and feelings into words… So for the sake of keeping this short and sweet for the Eid, I chopped down a lot of what I initially had planned to put in here.
Enjoy reading and Eid Mubarak!
Happiness, prayer, and sugar.
That’s what comes to mind when I think of Eid. I’ve lived in three different countries and celebrated Eid in all of them, yet the memory of Eid stays the same. Despite the traditions every country upholds, Eid is a universal celebration for all Muslims, and the essence of Eid never changes from one country to another. The vivid picture of Eid in my head is still the same, no matter which country I had celebrated it in. Eid is always the celebration that unites members of my community together and ultimately Muslims from all around the world. It makes us share our happiness and publicize the Islamic practices and being Muslims.
One thing that caught my eye growing up is the Eid prayer taking place outside in a wide area, and when I asked my mom why, she had said it’s to show the people in the area the prayer, to publicize it. Anyone walking around the community will not miss the big group of people standing all together to pray. (And just saying, maybe someone will see the prayer and be curious then start researching more about Islam. Who knows?) These public prayers and celebrations don’t only show our faith but also strengthens the bonds within our diverse Muslim community.
In Eid prayer today, people from different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds all stood side by side to pray, painting the perfect picture of a united Muslim community. And just like that, Eid brings all members of the Muslim community together. It’s a different feeling of joy and peace seeing everyone dressed up to go to prayer, praying side by side and making duaa together. These displays of unity during Eid not only bridge gaps but remind us of the essential ties that bind us, particularly in today’s fast-paced world where such connections are fleeting. In our busy world where everyone is occupied by worldly affairs and distracted by the latest trend, it’s hard to see Muslims gathered together and being one as a community. It feels like the tie that brings all Muslims together as one seems to be lost somewhere along the way. This Eid, I realized how much we need this link, how freer, happier, and more peaceful I felt seeing all these people come to one place, to do the same thing despite all the differences they have. I felt like i finally belong to a community.
With all Muslims celebrating Eid and each country having small traditions for these Eid days, I feel like sometimes Eid can be seen more like a tradition than a form of worship and keeping the rulings of Allah alive. So it’s good to always remember that Eid is not just a tradition we’re upholding. We all need to revisit our intentions and make sure we know that sharing happiness is a form of worship, and showing up at Eid prayer, giving out sweets, congratulating others, and smiling are all also forms of worship; doing that we can ensure that we get thawab (reward) for Eid and make sure we know why we’re celebrating it.
Just as Eid is brings the ummah together and reforms the ties between communities, we shall not pretend that the Palestinians in Gaza battling the occupation forces don’t exist. So yes, Eid is all about celebrating and being happy, but as Muslims, we should be able to combine showing happiness (i.e., distributing sweets, giving money, or exchanging pleasantries) and feeling the pain of our brothers and sisters. And we don’t need to go all out with the celebrations and celebrating our Eid like usual. We should keep the people in Gaza in your hearts and duaas, show happiness since it’s a form of ibadah (worship), but never forget about them as we do so.
As I conclude this short… post? Not really sure what to call it. I want to wish all Muslims Eid Mubarak! I hope that this Eid serves as a reminder not to stray away from Allah and gives us all a clear sense of direction.
Thank you for reading!
