Rules and etiquettes of Eid
The imam reminded us of this by beginning with a few hadith which are mentioned to help us with todays’ reminder.
The first one is a recap from last week in which the Prophet SAWS is reported to have said:
“There are no days in this world during which worship is more beloved to Allah, Glorious is He, than the (first) ten days (of Dhul- Hijjah). Fasting one of these days is equivalent to fasting for one year, and one night of them is equal to Lailatul-Qadr.”
Dear brothers and sisters, today is the day of Arafah and those who are able to fast today do so in the knowledge that its reward is equivalent to the expiation of two years of sins.
The imam then mentioned how the blessing of this days of Dhul Hijjah extends to the day of Eid. We know this through the hadith of the Prophet SAWS that was mentioned by the imam. It is translated to say:
Best of days for Allah is the day of ‘Nahir’ then the day of ‘Qar’ and Qar is the 11th day of Dhul-Hijja, when the Hajji’s settle in Mina.
And this one which translates to say:
“The Day of Arafah, the Day of Nahr, and the Days of Tashriq are Eid for us. The people of Islam, and they are days of eating and drinking,”
And so, dear brothers and sisters, this reminder concludes with a short list of etiquettes that can be performed on the day.
Firstly, it goes without saying that we do not fast on the day of Eid. Abu Ubaid narrated. Umar Bin Al-Khattab addressed the people saying: “O people! Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) has forbidden you to fast (on the first day of) each of these two ‘Ida, for one of them is the Day of breaking your fast, and the other is the one, on which you eat the meat of your sacrifices.”
In the case of this Eid, we are reminded by the imam of the following hadith of the Prophet SAWS in which he said:
“The first thing to be done on this day (first day of `Id ul Adha) is to pray; and after returning from the prayer we slaughter our sacrifices (in the name of Allah) and whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (traditions).”
Second is to do lots of Takbeer. The imam reminded us of Sura Al-Baqarah, ayat 185 in which Allah SWT said:
And to Glorify Allah for that to which He has guided you; perhaps you will be grateful.
For those who don’t know the takbir. It is:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La illaha il Allah, Alahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa-lillaahil-hamd.
And translated this is: Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, There is no God but Allah, Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, And all praise be to Allah.
The next is to match the appearance to the occasion. Brothers, this is the day to put in the effort. Wear your best clothes, new if possible, put on a nice fragrance the wife is always buying for you and look like you are celebrating the day. This is that day when you can be a little extravagant with your attire because this is the day of celebration, the appearance is not just for the children and the ladies, we must also play our part.
Fourthly, it is to eat something before you leave for prayer. The Prophet SAWS used to eat an odd number of dates before he left for the Eid prayer and we can earn the reward of following this sunnah by doing the same.
And finally, it is the journey to the masjid. Aim to come from one route and return home from a different route as this is also a sunnah but alongside this, greet one another with affection and warmth – muslim or otherwise along the way. This is both a sunnah and a sadaqa so earn the blessing again from performing the simplest of acts.
Dear brothers and sisters, today is the day of Arafah, we should be prioritising acts of worship and to lift our level of worship for the whole day. It then follows that tomorrow is a day of celebration and so let us make the most of tomorrow and celebrate in accordance with our faith and with our loved ones.
