A Muslim content creator has broken down what Eid means for those who might not be familiar with this key Islamic festivity.
Eid occurs twice annually and is one of the holiest events in Islam. The first, Eid al-Fitr, signifies the conclusion of Ramadan, a period during which Muslims fast from dawn until dusk.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, and this cultural event relies on the moon’s phases because Islam incorporates a lunar calendar. This year, the expectation is that Eid al-Fitr will commence on either Sunday, March 30 or Monday, March 31, based on lunar observations.
Mohmmad Mustafa elaborated on the significance of the occasion through a TikTok video. His explanation was simple: “Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is also a celebration of the hard work that Muslims put in through the whole month.
“The term Eid al-Fitr literally means the celebration or the festival of ‘al-Fitr’ (the ‘breaking of the fast’) because today Muslims are not fasting and they’re celebrating the end of Ramadan.” Further defining the day’s customs, Mohmmad outlined that Muslims traditionally attend an Eid morning prayer at their local mosque to convene with fellow community members, often followed by breakfast.
A common greeting shared among Muslims on this day is ‘Eid Mubarak’, translating to ‘blessed feast’ or ‘blessed festival’. After prayer, it’s customary to reach out to family members, extending the same heartfelt wishes of ‘Eid Mubarak’.
The TikTok content creator continued: “And then you spend the rest of the day with your family and you go out and you just have fun because it is a day of celebration. On this day Muslims will dress up and wear their finest clothes and you know, make sure they look clean and nice because Eid al-Fitr is one of our only holidays throughout the whole year.”
Muslims also usually share a special at home with their families, or some go out to eat at restaurants. The second is Eid al-Adha and follows the completion of Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage.
It falls on the tenth day in the final (twelfth) month of the Islamic calendar, Dhu-al-Hijjah. Eid al-Adha is celebrated to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to Allah and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail, according to Muslim Aid.
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The UK faith based international non-governmental organisation adds: “At the very point of sacrifice, Allah replaced Ismail with a ram, which was to be slaughtered in place of his son. This command from Allah was a test of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness and commitment to obey his lord’s command, without question. Therefore, Eid-ul-Adha means the festival of sacrifice.”
This story is shared in both the Bible and the Quran but the son in the biblical version is Isaac. Mohammad’s TikTok video focusing on Eid al-Fitr has amassed 635,900 views, 32,000 likes and almost 300 comments to date.
One user exclaimed: “As a non-Muslim he ain’t lying, the drip that they put on during this time is breathtaking. They all look so gorgeous.”
Another chimed in: “I am not Muslim but I love learning about faith/religion and the amazing community it can create, so thank you.” Meanwhile, a third added: “I’m not Muslim but this sounds so lovely! So much family interaction with spirituality. That’s so neat.”