Sunday, May 24, 2020

Happy Eid al-Fetr

By: Kayhan Int’l 

"O Allah! Lord of magnificence and greatness; and Lord of generosity and overwhelming power; and Lord of pardon and mercy. We implore You for the sake of This Day which You have appointed as a Festival for the Muslims and for Muhammad (SAWA) and his progeny as a reminder, a distinction, an honour.”
We are on the eve of the grand day of Eid al-Fitr, which this year because of the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, will not witness the glorious spectacle of the special congregational prayer in most countries.
Anyway, this is not a setback for the faithful, who throughout the blessed month of Ramadhan observed the commandments of God Almighty in keeping the obligatory fasts, and embellishing this unique form of worship with prayers and supplications.
Indeed, we have endeavoured to purify our minds, hearts, souls, and bodies, and the Prayer of Eid which is a thanksgiving to the Lord Most High for having rewarded the faithful with the festival of Eid Fitr, will perform the special Eid prayer in their homes, along with their families.
As indicated by the word "Fitr”, the Edi starts with the giving of special alms to the poor known as "Fitrah” – made up of 3-and-a-half kg of staple diet, such as wheat, rice, barley or date; or its equivalent in money. And the faithful, despite the pandemic will fulfill this obligation.
This is yet another wonderful example of the spirit of universal brotherhood in Islam, which strives to uplift the status of the poor sections of the society, so that the message of Eid could equally be enjoyed by all classes of people.
Sadly, these dynamic facts are not understood by the arrogant, especially the rulers of reactionary regimes, which are Muslim in name only, and which openly dally with the enemies of Islam against fellow Muslims. This is the reason the world of Islam is politically divided. We pray to God to awaken the conscience of the Ummah so that Islamic solidarity is fostered, in accordance with the message of the Eid.
Nonetheless, the feast in Islam should not be compared to the unbridled festivities of other creeds and cultures, where free rein is given to sins. To quote the Commander of the Faithful, Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWA) First Infallible Heir, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS):
"Indeed Eid is for those whose fasting has been accepted by God and whose worship has been appreciated, and any day on which God has not been disobeyed is Eid.”
This year’s Ramadhan with all its glories has come to its end, but unfortunately the situation of Muslims has not much improved. In Yemen, the Muslim people are marking Eid Fitr with blood and sacrifices of their near and dear ones as the Saudi airplanes continue to rain upon them bombs.
The world is watching in silence as men, women, and children are being massacred in Afghanistan and Syria, as well as in Iraq and Africa by the Godless Takfiri terrorists and other grouplets supported by the US continue to target Muslims, mostly through bomb blasts, attacks on hospitals and kidnapping of people.
In such a situation, it is our duty to strive and pray for the deliverance of Muslims worldwide on the day of Eid Fitr, whether in Yemen and Bahrain, or in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and mainland Arabia; as well as in other parts of the world, including Palestine, where the Zionist usurpers subject the Muslim people to untold atrocities, and in league with the US and reactionary Arab regimes are trying to kill the Palestinian cause through imposition of the so-called Deal of the Century, which should rightly be called Conspiracy of the Century.
At the same time we should implore divine wrath on the Zionists and the Takfiris, as well as on Global Arrogance, especially Donald Trump and his team of thugs.  
Here we present you passages from the Special Eid Sermon of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS) on the occasion of Eid Fitr, which starts with due praise to Allah, blessings for Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), seeking divine assistance for the faithful and invoking divine wrath on the devilish elements:
"All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, have faith in Him, and put our trust in Him. We bear witness that there is no god except Allah, He is One, and He has no partner, and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger; may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny, as well as His forgiveness and approval.
"O Allah bless Muhammad, Your Servant, Messenger and Prophet, a blessing growing and multiplying, that will raise His rank and manifest His merit. Bless Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad and give barakah to Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad even as You blessed, granted barakah and mercy to Abraham and the progeny of Abraham, indeed You are praiseworthy and glorious.
"O Allah, punish the faithless from among the People of the Book who bar Your way, contest Your signs and impugn Your Prophets.
"O Allah, assist the armies of Muslims, their companies and brigades, in the east of the earth and its west! Indeed You have power over all things. O Allah, forgive the faithful, men and women, and the Muslim, men and women.
"O Allah, let Godwariness be their provision; put faith and wisdom into their hearts; inspire them to thank You for the blessings You have showered on them and to fulfill the covenant that You made with them, O God of the Truth and Creator of the creation!

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