ISLAMIC FESTIVALS AND SACRED DAYS
There are two great festivals in Islam, EID-UL-FITR which occurs on the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic year, and EID-UL-ADHA which occurs on the tenth day of Thul-Hijjah and coincides with the Yauman-Nahr, “Day of the Sacrifices” in the Hajj Pilgrimage.
EID-UL-FITR (the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast)
This festival marks the end of Ramadan and it lasts for three days. It is a celebration of Allah for giving Muslims the strength to get through the Ramadan fast. This festival is intended to be a cheerful and joyous occasion – special food and delicacies are prepared for the day and they are distributed to neighbours and friends.
Jabir bin Abdullah said, “The Prophet went out on the Day of ‘Eid-ul-Fitr and offered the prayer before delivering the Khutba”. Ata told me that during the early days of Ibn-Az-Zubair, Ibn Abbas had sent a message telling him that the Adhan for the ‘Id Prayer was never pronounced (in the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle) and the Khutba used to be delivered after the prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, p. 41).
