Eid al-Fitr: Difference between revisions

According to hadiths, the words "Tazakka" and "Fasalla" in the two verses "Qad aflah-a man tazakka" ["Felicitous is he who purifies himself,"] and ""wa dhakar-asm-a rabbih-i fasalla" ["celebrates the Name of his Lord, and prays."] mean to give Zakat of Fitra and praying the Eid Prayer.

* It is quoted from Jabir who quoted from Imam al-Baqir (a) and he (a) quoted from the Prophet (s) saying, "when the first of Shawwal comes, the caller will call 'O believers! Rush to your rewards in the morning!" He (s) then said, "O Jabir! Rewards of God are not [like] the rewards of kings." And he (s) said, "That day is the day of rewards."

* The Prophet (s) said, "angels on the day of Eid stand at the alleys and paths and say, 'rush to the Generous Lord who gives great blessings and forgives great sins."

* In some Eids, Imam Ali (a) said, "This is Eid of the one, God has accepted his fasting and worships and any day in which God is not disobeyed are Eid."

* Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (a) looked at some people who were happy and laughed; then he (a) turned to his companions and said, 'God, the Almighty, created the month of Ramadan as a field for the competition of his creatures, so that through obeying God, they excel each other towards His happiness. Some exceled and won and some left behind and lost. Thus, it is so surprising is one who is frivolously playful and laughing on the day the good-doers are rewarded and those who fall behind lose. By God I swear that if the veils are removed, the good-doer will engage in his good-doing and the evil-doer will throw themselves into their evil-doing."

* Imam al-Rida (a) said, "The day of Fitr is appointed as Eid so that Muslims have a gathering and come out for the sake of God and praise Him for the blessings they have been given; and the day of Eid is the day of gathering, day of breaking the fasting, day of giving Zakat, day of happiness and day of worship; and it is the first day of the year in which eating and drinking is permissible, since the month of Ramadan is the first month of the year for the people of truth. So, God wanted them to have a gathering to praise the Lord and on this day, saying Takbir in the prayer is more than other days, because Takbir is glorifying God and praising Him for His blessings as He has said, 'and magnify Allah for guiding you, and that you may give thanks.' (2:185) and in that day, 12 Takbir have been instructed to be said, of which 7 have to be said in the first Rak'a and 5 Takbir in the second Rak'a, and they have not been made equal since it is recommended that the obligatory prayer follows 7 Takbirs. Therefore, the first Rak'a begins with 7 Takbirs. And there are 5 Takbirs in the second Rak'a, since Takbirat al-Ihram for all the prayers during one day are 5 Takbirs and because Takbirs in each of the two Rak'as be odd."

* Reciting supplication and the Qur'an and doing prayer. Imam Ali (a) said, "See if you can observe the eve of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, etc. and in these nights recite supplications and the Qur'an and do prayers a lot."

* Ziyara of Imam al-Husayn (a) is recommended on the eve of Eid al-Fitr.

* Doing ritual bath is recommended in this night. It is narrated that it is recommended to do ritual bath before the sunset of the Eve of Eid al-Fitr when one finds out it is the eve of the Eid. It is also narrated and recommended to do ritual bath a t the late night of the eve of Eid al-Fitr.

* According to a famous opinion of late scholars, obligatory time for Zakat Fitra at the sunset of the Eve of Eid al-Fitr. Some have considered its time as the sunrise of the Eid.

* Prayer of Eid: Imam al-Sadiq (a) quoted from Imam Ali (a), "anyone who does two Rak'as of prayer, a the first Rak'a of which one must read the Surat al-Fatiha once and the Surat al-Tawhid a thousand times and in the second Rak'a he must read the Surat al-Fatiha and the Surat al-Tawhid once and would not ask God anything unless he will receive it."

* Saying Takbirs after the prayers: (quoted from Mu'awiya b. 'Ammar) I heard from Imam al-Sadiq (a) said, "There are Takbirs in the prayer of the Eid al-Fitr." I said, "when?" he (a) said, "In the Maghrib prayer on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr and in the Fajr prayer in the morning of the Eid al-Fitr and in the prayer of the Eid al-Fitr. Then there be no more. And this the word of God that says, 'so that you may complete the number, and magnify Allah for guiding you,' and Takbir is saying 'Allah-u Akbar, Allah-u Akbar, La ilah-a ill-Allah, w-Allah-u Akbar, wa lillah al-hamd 'ala ma hadana, wa lahu shukr 'ala ma awlana."

* Ihya (night vigil); Imam al-Kazim (a) said, "Ali b. Abi Talib (a) said, 'This makes me happy that anyone during the year releases himself (for worship) at four nights: the eve of Eid al-Fitr, eve of Eid al-Adha, the eve of 15th of Sha'ban and the eve of the first of Rajab." Imam al-Baqir (a) said, "my father, Ali b. al-Husayn (a) stayed in the mosque on the eve of Eid al-Fitr and prayed until morning and kept the night vigil and said, 'O my son! This night is not less important than the night of Qadr.'"

* Among the highly recommended actions of the day of Eid al-Fitr is doing ritual bath which can be done after Fajr, but there is a disagreement about the time of Zuhr prayer or the sunset being the latest time it can be done.

* Holding the prayer of Eid al-Fitr is recommended in the Age of Occultation, but during the presence of Imams (a), it is obligatory.

* Saying Takbirs as instructed is recommended after Maghrib prayer on the eve of Eid and also in the Fajr prayer in the morning of Eid and in the prayer of the Eid.

* Fasting on the day of Eid al-Fitr is forbidden. Reciting the supplication of Nudbah and also expanding the eating for the family are recommended.