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Eid Mubarak to you and your family!

“You must magnify Allah (Allahu-Akbar) for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” (2:185)

O Allah, we thank You for all what You have bestowed upon us, You blessed us with faith in You, sent us the best Book, chose for us the best human being as a Prophet, and You made it easy for us to fast the month of Ramadan, to pray its nights, to give charity for Your sake and to recite Your Glorious Book.
O Allah, You deserve all thanks. We thank You in private and in public.
O Allah, We thank You with love and with our free choice.

As-salamu `Alaykuim Wa Rahmatu Allah,

Dear Respected Brothers and Sisters,

Eid Mubarak to all! May Allah accept our good deeds and make us all from those forgiven and honored with the highest reward.

As we bid farewell to Ramadan and prepare for Eid, I would like to share a few Sunnah practices for us to follow with our loved ones:

  • Eid in Islam is a form of worship, so let us make the intention to celebrate Eid as an act of worship by breaking our fast and spreading joy.

  • Gratitude is the essence of Eid, so celebrate this day by thanking Allah for that to which He has guided us.

  • Express thanks to Allah by giving your Zakah alms to the poor and needy before the first day of Eid.

  • Recite the Eid takbeer chant, which can be done after Maghrib on the last day of Ramadan until the day of Eid:

    • Allahu Akbar 3x. Laa illaaha illa Allah. Allahu akbar 2x. wa Lillaahil Hamd. (Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, there is no deity but Allah, Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, and praise be to Allah). 

  • Do this with your family in your homes, creating a spirit and energy where everyone is chanting.

  • Wake up early before Fajr prayer and pray at least two rakat bidding farewell to Ramadan. It was narrated that “whoever stands up (in worship) in the nights preceding the two Eids expecting rewards from his Lord, his heart will not die when the hearts will die.”

  • Put on your best clean and modest clothing, including perfumes.

  • Eid prayer can be performed 20 minutes after sunrise until before Dhuhr.

    • Eid prayer is two rakat. In the first rakah when you start the prayer, say 7 Allahu akbars (with the opening Allahu akbar included in that before reciting Surah Al Fatiha). Then, when you are coming up for the second rakah, say 5 Allahu akbar. This is followed by a short Khutbah or a recitation of a Surah.

  • Go out of your way to make others smile, especially those who have been going through difficult times.

  • Exchange gifts; this can be done financially, emotionally, or even by making Duaa.

  • Fast six days in the month of Shawwal, considering the reward that is mentioned in the following hadith of the Prophet ﷺ: “Whoever completes the fasting of Ramadan then adds to them the fast of six days in the month of Shawwal, it will carry the reward of fasting for the whole year.”

  • Make Istighfar (asking Allah for forgiveness), ask Allah to accept our fast, prayers, devotion, and all our good deeds, and ask Him sincerely to grant the Ummah and all humanity glory and success in all affairs.

  • Remember that Eid is not an occasion to take a break from your Islamic responsibilities nor to waste time and money on extravagance. Be balanced and prophetic in celebrating.

  • Lastly, we must remember our brothers and sisters who cannot celebrate this day because they lost their loved ones, are under siege, are sick, or are oppressed. We must remember them and know that our biggest Eid will be when all humans live with peace, justice, and freedom. Make Duaa for them, asking Allah to ease their pain and comfort them.

May Allah accept us all and grant us a transformative Ramadan!

Dr. Basyouny Nehela
President, Boston Islamic Seminary