The word “Eid”
is mentioned in the Qur’an only once in
the story of Jesus (pbuh). According to
the story, the Disciples requested persistently from Jesus (pbuh) to ask his
Lord for sending
down a table (spread with food) of the Heaven. Jesus (pbuh) took ablution,
prostrated with shedding tears for a while and then supplicated:
“…O
our Lord, send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven to be for
us a festival (Eid) for the first of us
and the last of us and a sign from You. And provide for us, and You are the
best of providers” (Qur’an,5:114).
Allah accepted his prayer and sent down a
table which consisted of food from Heaven.
Before having a meal, he prayed again and
offered gratitude to Allah while bursting into tears and then opened the table.
According to mufassirs (the Qur’anic
exegetes), while his Disciples prioritised the food which nourishes the body,
Jesus (pbuh) emphasised the spiritual dimension of the table that nourishes the
heart and soul by drawing attention to God’s sign which led to sincere
gratitude and tawhid. Some Qur’anic scholars commented that the expression of “a sign from You” in the above mentioned verse, means the truth
and wisdom which can lead to understanding
the marifa
(knowledge of God) in depth.
This is since the
main purpose of the table is to reassure the hearts of Disciples and later
believers as mentioned in the Qur’an (5:112-113). That
is why Jesus (pbuh) mentions “a festival
(Eid) for the first of us and the last of
us” in his supplication.
Eid is
considered as days of joy and
happiness in Islam. Muslims assemble in mosques on the first day of Eid in a brotherly and joyful atmosphere to
offer their thankfulness to the Most Generous One for helping them to fulfill their spiritual obligations. With Eid takbirat which includes exalting,
glorifying and thanking God during the
prayer, the entire world resembles a congregation. After the prayer, the family
members sit around a table to have a meal together resembles a table of Heaven.
The
spiritual dimension of Eid is more
important than its social and cultural
dimension. However, most Muslims neglect or are not
aware of this aspect. Without the spiritual dimension, Eid becomes ceremonial. The majority
of Muslims celebrate Eid but some experience it on a higher
spiritual level. When they sacrifice everything in the cause of Islam and
achieve their goals that is a day of Eid. Ahmet ibn Hanbal (d.855) was excited when
he had nothing at home to eat because of donating everything. Mawlana Jalal din Rumi (d.1273) was with full of joy at the
level of spiritual ecstasy when his wife
said there was nothing at home to satisfy their hunger. He said that “Praise to
be Allah. Our home resembles the Prophet’s
home today.”
The days of Eid are also days of preferring others to one’s self by offering a
hand to those who are in need. Visiting elders, patients, the destitute,
inmates and lonely individuals with a
smiling face and a small gift will result in unforgettable experiences and joy in
their hearts. Without their happiness, we
will not be able to experience the real happiness in our soul. Days of Eid should be a time of reach out to our
non-Muslim neighbours and workmates. It
is an opportunity to strive against Islamophobia. We have an obligation to
overcome such fear in a non- Muslim
community by focusing and practising the
universal principles of Islam.
In conclusion, for those who have big dream and dedicated to serving
humanity, every day is akin to Eid and
every night resembles Lailat’ul Qadr (Power of Night of in
Ramadan). Let our Eid not be
ceremonial but spiritual if we would like to have the pick of joy, piety and
mercy.
