Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the only two annual festivals recognised by the Shari’ah. Due to the current circumstances, Eid al-Fitr 2020 is going to be celebrated in lockdown, which may seem contrary to the spirit of Eid. However, this is not entirely the case. We can still keep the spirit of Eid alive!

Following are some acts we can adopt:

1. Engage in worship on the night of Eid

The night of Eid has been named in a Hadīth as the Night of Reward (Laylatul Ja’iza) and it was the practise of the Prophet ﷺ to remain awake during this night in order to spend it seeking reward.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘On the last night of Ramadhan the fasting Muslims are forgiven.’ The Companions رضي الله عنهم asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, is that the night of power?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, ‘No. But it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his duty.’ (Ahmad)

On the night of Eid, one should make an effort of staying awake, and knowing that it is the end of the blessed month, and should ask for whatever one wants and seek forgiveness for one’s sins.

2. To awaken earlier than usual

Just because you’re in lockdown does not mean you sleep-in until Zuhr! Start your day early and begin. The morning is filled with blessings, the Prophet ﷺ prayed to Allah saying: “O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings”.

3. Make Ghusl

Putting in the extra effort in preparing ourselves for Eid should still hold the same importance, regardless of the lockdown.

Some of the scholars regarded it as mustahabb to do ghusl for the Eid prayer, because it is narrated that some of the salaf used to do this also.

4. Wear your best clothes (not necessarily new!)

Despite spending Eid at home don’t let that be the reason we spend the the day in sweat pants. Dressing up on Eid is a Sunnah whether anyone sees it or not.

“This adorning oneself on the occasion of Eid applies to the one who goes out to the prayer, the one who stays at home, and even women and children.”
[Fath al-Bari by Ibn Rajab]

5. Apply perfume / itr

Allah loves beauty and He loves to see His creation in the best form. The day of Eid is a day of celebration. Therefore, dress well and apply perfume, in fact – the best perfume you have!

Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Verily, Allah has made this day of Friday a celebration for the Muslims. Whoever comes to Friday prayer, let him bathe himself, apply perfume if he has it, and use the toothstick (miswak).”
[Sunan Ibn Majah 1098]

6. Pay Sadaqat ul-Fitr

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ enjoined that Sadaqatul Fitr should be given before the people go out to pray.
[Nasa’i]

It is mandatory on all the well-off Muslims to start their day by paying Sadaqat-ul-Fitr to the poor of their society, so that they, too, may enjoy the day along with others, and may not be worried for earning their livelihood at least on that day of happiness.

During the lockdown period, we have been facilitated with many options of discharging Sadaqat ul-Fitr online, therefore source out an appropriate means and discharge it immediately.

7. Recite Takbir

Even though we are not going for the Eid prayer, we should still recite the Takbir as much as possible. Remember to do so softly, not disturbing anyone around us.

Perhaps you go on a walk with your family, recite and engage in Takbir – spark the spirit of Eid.

اَللهُ اَكْبَر، اَللهُ اَكْبَر، اَللهُ اَكْبَر، لآ إِلَٰهَ إلا الله، وَ اللهُ اَكْبَر، اَللهُ اَكْبَر، و للهِ الْحَمْد

8. Connect with loved ones

Although we cannot physically meet our family and friends, drop them a message or even give them a call. Even better, video call them!

9. Smile and display one’s happiness

Eid is a day of celebration and naturally we should be happy. Spread that happiness and smile since its also a Sunnah!

10. Eat dates or something sweet

It is an act of Sunnah to eat dates on the morning of Eid. Our Prophet ﷺ did not set out on the day of Eid until he had eaten dates. It has been reported that Nabi ﷺ used to eat an odd number of dates.

We pray you have a very happy and peaceful Eid. We pray Allah accepts all our fasts and ibadah done in the month of Ramadhan. Remember us in your du’as!

Eid Mubarak to you and yours from Siblings of Ilm!

Ramaḍān is indeed a month in which every soul yearns to connect with their Creator. As the Qur’ān states; ‘And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.’ These reminders aim to present a reminder in a graphical form which can be appreciated by all, followed by a short excerpt from a book relevant to the reminder in order to shed light.

Over the past few years, a significant number of friends and students have requested a list of suggested book readings for my various classes on Hadith Studies. Others over the past few years have asked my opinion about certain works or whether they are appropriate for the level of the enquirer. Recently, I was reminded of a promise to compile a short list of works I would consider useful reading material for a student and have thus decided to take out a few minutes to compose this post, keeping in mind the various levels of readers and the need for conciseness.

Rajab is the seventh month in the Islamic lunar calendar. This month was regarded as one of the sacred months (Al-Ashhur-al-hurum) in which battles were prohibited in the days of the Holy Prophet . It is also a prelude to the month of Ramadan, because Ramadan follows it after the intervening month of Sha’ban.

Tafsir is basically trying to understand the Qur’an. Generally, most people who read the Qur’an can understand something from the Qur’an. However, there is a big difference between a person who reads a translation of the Qur’an and between person who can understand it through the Arabic language.

Perhaps ‘love of knowledge’ is the most comprehensive description that characterises all truly successful people who seek it. This attribute —if planted within the heart of a student and allowed to take rest and settle —would cause the many obstacles he faces such as: disinterest, lack of time, different distractions and interruptions, etc — to crumble. For all of these issues stem from the same root, and it is the lack of true love of knowledge.

For the benefit of the English-speakers, I wrote a bit about the history of the Hanbalī Madhhab and its relied upon works:

The following is a translation of a lecture delivered in Urdu by Shaykh al-Islam Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (hafizahullah) on Friday 18th December 2015 in Karachi, Pakistan. Translated by Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam

I am sharing this story because firstly, I know how lonely it is for those suffering from mental illness and how comforting it is for us to hear from others who have had similar experiences. Secondly, I’ve learned a lot from the past 4 years that I think will be useful for those who have just started experiencing symptoms. Thirdly, understanding mental illness from a theoretical perspective doesn’t do justice to what people suffering from it feel, especially when we consider how the suffering is invisible on the outside. The list of symptoms for these illnesses can often sound generic or trivial, but the person suffering from it distinctively knows that something is tangibly wrong with them. Lastly, I want to emphasize how much we Muslims need to take mental illness seriously, not just in confronting the stigma, but in approaching diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention as seriously as we would do any other health issue we encounter in our own lives.

Muharram is the month with which the Muslims begin their lunar Hijrah Calendar. It is one of the four sanctified months about which the Holy Quran says, “The number of the months according to Allah is twelve (mentioned) in the Book of Allah on the day He created heavens and the earth. Among these (twelve months) there are four sanctified.”