Eid Fitr Talks
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In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.

Eid El-Fitr Kuthah (1435 h - September 2014 ac)

Written by: Sk Salem Faituri

Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa

01 Shawal 1435.

17 July   2014.

All thanks be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness and to Him we repent, and we fortify ourselves with Him from evil within us, and from our bad deeds. This who is guided by Allah then nothing will misguide him, and whoever is misguided by Allah then no one will guide him. I testify that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger.

Allah is the greatest, and all thanks be to Allah. Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, Allah Akber.

Fear Allah in public and in privacy, and avoid the wrongful acts again in public and in private. And know that today is time for actions and deeds with no accountability, and tomorrow is accountability and no deeds. Do work today for tomorrow. Do as much work as the reward you hope to receive from your God. Allah says: {whoever does a tiny grain worth of good deed shall see it, and whoever does a tiny grain worth of bad deed shall see it}99:7-8.

Muslims, this is Eid day, day of glorifying of Allah (Takbeer day). For us Muslims, the decorations for the Eid is Takbeer. Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar.

Allah Akbar is the symbol or slogan of Muslims. A Muslim starts his prayers five times a day with this great word "Allah Akbar". The call for each prayer (or Azan) five times a day starts with this word: "Allah Akbar". A Muslim announces that his prayer is about to start (E-qamah) five times a day starting it with this word: "Allah Akbar". When a Muslim slaughters his sacrifice says: "In the name of Allah, and Allah Akbar". A Muslim going into battle, his cry of war is: "Allah Akbar". "Allah Akbar" is the decoration of Eid. So, do takbeer and say: "Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, No God but Allah. Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, and thanks be to Allah"

The two joys for this who fasts:

Muslims have two Eids. Eid-El-Fitr (or End of Fast Eid) and Eid-El-Adha (or End of Hajj Eid). Each of those two Eids come after a great act or a compulsory worship. After fasting the month of Ramadan, and after the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mekka.

One who fasts has two joys, the first happens each time he/she break the fasting. The second joy they day he/she meet their Lord. A Muslim at the end of Ramadan has another joy, that is the joy of being made to succeed in doing this obedience to Allah. It is that Allah may he be praised has blessed him with the blessing of fasting and night prayers. The Eid comes complementing this blessing. Muslims become delighted that Allah assisted and enabled him or her to go through and complete the month of fasting. One way to express thanks to Allah by a Muslim is that he should not live this joy alone and in isolation. Instead he ought to share it with others who are poor and the destitute. And it is for that reason that Allah commanded Zakat-El-Fitr charity. A Muslim submits Zakah for him/her self and for each of those he/she supports like a wife and children.. m Whoever gives thanks to Allah. Zakah is a small amount obligatory for any one who has access of the food needed for this day and night. Islam wants to train the Muslim to give and donate in the good and in the bad. Even a poor Muslim can give and may receive Zakah. A Muslim on this day seeks out the poor and delivers the Zakah to him

Eid day is in a way similar to the day of resurrection. You would see some happy faces and some sad faces. The happy faces are those upon whom Allah has bestowed and completed the blessings of fasting. They deserve to be happy. The sad faces are for those who did not appreciate the blessing of Allah, and did not implement the command of Allah to fast and pray. It is bad news for them.

The Sunnah of Women Participation in Eid Prayer

The messenger (ppbu) used to hold the Eid prayer in the open. It was never reported the he held the Eid prayer inside a mosque except once when it rained. All Muslims in the city would gather together in once place out in the open in a large Islamic festival men and women. The messenger (ppbu) recommended that a woman should come out for Eid prayer even if she needed to borrow a dress from a friend. Even women who may not be able to pray due to a period or otherwise should come and attend the celebration without having to participate in the prayer.

Be kind to the poor, the destitute, to your children and families. Give them without over spending and without being tight.

This who does a bad deed will be rewarded accordingly. And this who comes up with good deed will be rewarded its value or ten times its value or up to seven hundred times its value. The winner is that who sticks to Allah's obedience and the looser is that who is disobedient to Allah.

Be warned from committing murder, adultery, usury, taking the money of the orphans, or get money through wrongful means. Be warned against alcohol the mother of all evil. Be warned against disloyalty to the parents, and breaking contacts with the blood relatives, and breaking promises, and false testimony. Be warned from over condemning, and from backbiting, and wrongful slander, and lying, cockiness and ridiculing others. Be warned against bad suspicions and doubts towards the innocent, and do not reduce and destroy your donations with stressing it as favor and hurting the recipient. Do a plenty of remembering Allah at night and at day. And train yourselves to curtail your looks, and support to Allah. And help the needy and rescue the endangered, and support and assist this who is wronged, and exercise mercy towards this who is hurt. And extend to those who can not repay a debt. And provide advice to the Muslim society.

The messenger (ppbu) said: {whoever guarantees me what is between his lips and what is between his thighs then I will guarantee him/her paradise}

The messenger (ppbu) said: {do not gloat over someone's grief or misfortune, for Allah will bless him and inflict you}.

The messenger (ppbu) said: {Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan then follows it with fasting six days of Shawal, then it is like he/she fasted eternity}. Because a good deed is the equivalent of ten then fasting the month of Ramadan is like fasting ten months. And fasting six days of Shawal is like fasting sixty days of two months. And that is a total of twelve months. Also fasting the six days of Shawa is a confirmed Sunnah which follows Ramadan to clean any mistakes or over sights or mistakes that may have happened during the fasting of Ramadan.

A call to continue and to donate

I want you to know that this Mosque we are in now was established only through your support and cooperation towards and for the sake of the Muslim community and its services.

When you go home now go in a different rout to that you used to come over her to the Mosque. Do visit each other. Visiting cemeteries is not a sunnah.

Notes:

Adhan - The call to prayer.

Ahmad (Ahmed)- Another name for the messenger Muhammad (PPBU).

Allah - The Arabic word for "god." It is often used as a name for God in Islam.

Ansar (or Al-Ansar): The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.

Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.

Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.

Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat): is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.

Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.

Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa)

Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.

Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.

Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life.

Duaa: a prayer in the form of talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.

Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.

Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.

Fiqh - Religious law.

Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.

Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.

Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.

Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.

Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.

Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.

Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.

Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.

Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.

Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.

Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.

Iman: belief or faith

Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.

Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.

Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of the faithful in the afterlife.

Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."

Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.

Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.

Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".

Khutbah - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.

Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.

Koran - Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)

Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.

Masjid - A center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.

Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act

Mecca or Makkah: is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).

Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.

Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.

Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah

Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.

Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.

Nasara - Christians. Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.

Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.

Paradise - Another word for heaven. A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.

PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.

Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.

Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.

Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.

Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.

Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.

Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.

Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.

Shirk - Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.

Siam or Soam- Fasting

Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.

Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.

Surah - A chapter of the Koran.

Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.

Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)

Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.

Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.

Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.

Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.

Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.

Zaboor - The Psalms

Zakat - The third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.

Faheem Bukhatwa, my email address is : faheemfb@gmail.com