Chapter: The Prayer of the Two Eids
Introduction
It is called an “Eid” (festival) because it comes back again and again, bringing with it the favors Allah bestows upon His servants—acts of worship and sacred rites—as well as the lawful pleasures and wholesome delights He has permitted. On these two days the believers display and enjoy those blessings: breaking the fast after abstaining from lawful food and drink, marital relations, relaxation in what is permissible, exchanging greetings and visits, thanking Allah for sound bodies and for having fulfilled the great rites. Included, too, are the charity of al-fitr, the takbir, the Eid prayer, the completion of the rites at the holy sites, and the offering of the prescribed sacrificial animals.
Every nation has its festivals that recur with the passing of some major occasion; they revive its memory, renew its mention, and people rejoice when it returns. Allah, however, has singled out the Muslims with two festivals: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Each is a day of worship, gratitude, delight, and happiness—they are neither mere rituals nor mere customs; rather, they combine the best of this world and the next.
These Islamic gatherings realize religious and worldly benefits that testify that Islam is the path Allah has sent for humanity’s happiness. Therefore, it is impermissible to venerate any time or place whose veneration has not been sanctioned by the Sharia, such as celebrating the Prophet’s birthday, commemorating the Night Journey and Ascension, or the anniversaries of Badr, the Conquest, or the Hijrah.