Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal)

The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Muhammad with
his friends and relatives after the victory of the battle of
Jang-e-Badar.
Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting , but thanking
Allah for the help and strength that he gave them throughout the
previous month to help them practise self-control .
The festival begins when the first sight of the new moon is seen in the sky.
Muslims in most countriesrely on news of an official sighting, rather
than looking at the sky themselves.
The celebratory atmosphere is increased by everyone wearing bestor new
clothes, and decorating their homes.
There are special services out of doors and in mosques , processions
through the streets, and of course, a special celebratory meal - eaten
during daytime, the first daytime meal Muslims will have had in a
month.
Eid is also a time of forgiveness, and making amends.

How is Eid al-Fitr Celebrated?

During the month of Ramadan , Muslims observe a strict fast and
participate in pious activities such as charitable giving and
peace-making. It is a time of intense spiritual renewal for those who
observe it. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the world
observe a joyous three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr (the
Festival of Fast-Breaking).
Answer: Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal , the month
which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is a time to give in
charity to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the
completion of a month of blessings and joy.
Before the day of Eid, during the last few days ofRamadan, each Muslim
family gives a determined amount as a donation to the poor. This
donation is of actual food -- rice, barley, dates, rice, etc. --
toensure that the needy can have a holiday meal and participate in the
celebration. This donation is known as sadaqah al-fitr (charity of
fast-breaking).
On the day of Eid, Muslims gather early in the morning in outdoor
locations or mosques to perform the Eid prayer. This consists of a
sermon followed by a short congregational prayer.
After the Eid prayer, Muslims usually scatter to visit various family
and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and make phone calls
to distant relatives to give well-wishes for the holiday. These
activities traditionally continue for three days. In most
Muslimcountries, the entire 3-day period is an official
government/school holiday.

1c] When Should Eid Al-Adha Be Celebrated?

1c]
The same theme of unity is described in the Holy Qura'an:
"And obey Allah and His Messenger, and dispute not with one another,
otherwise you will showtimidity, and your tied strength will depart
from you, and be patient." 8:46 (Sura Al-Anfal, Verse 46)
Unity never means to disregard and disrespect Shariah and in the name
of unity, observe Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr, and Eid Al-Adha whenever we
please. Observing Eid without any evidence or starting Ramadan
withoutevidence of Shariah so that the unity would be maintained is
completely against the rulings of the Qura'an and Hadith.
We humbly request our Muslim brothers to not waste their 'Ibaadat
(Rituals). Please do not ignore the obviously clearcommands and
injunctions of Allah and his Apostle and become guilty in the eyes of
Allah and his Apostle. When you see the Moon, start the month; and if
you can not see the Moon (for any reason), wait for an acceptable
witness according Shariah. If the witness is up to the standards of
the rules of Shariah, then the new month starts. Otherwise, as the
Noble Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) instructed, complete the thirty (30)
days. Saudi Arabia's prominent scholar Abdul Azeez bin Baaz himself,
in his Fatawa (Verdict), ordered:
"The most trusted and authentic source of Moon sighting for a town is
a local one." [Further, he says,] "Some people think that the whole
world should follow the Moon sighting of Mecca, Saudi Arabia and make
it the base of their Ramadan and Eid judgment. However, in the pure
formof Shariah, there is neitherany proof of it, nor is there any
origin to this." (Al-Baath Al-Islami, Zel-Hijjah 1399 Hijri)
We surrender ourselves inthe supplication to Allah: May He give the
Muslims the ability to obey and follow the pure form of Shariah to the
fullest. Aameen; Bejahe Habeebihee Sayyedil Mursaleen (Peace Be
UponHim)./

1b] When Should Eid Al-Adha Be Celebrated?

1b]
Suppose that the Moon is not sighted in Saudi Arabia; but in the
countries west of Saudi Arabia, it is observed. So when in Saudi
Arabia it will be the 9th of Zel-Hijjah, in the countrieswest of Saudi
Arabia, it will be the 10th of Zel-Hijjah. If you follow the
conflicting doctrine, inSaudi Arabia Eid Al-Adha will be on Hajj day,
but forpeople in western countries Eid-Al-Adha will be on the 11th of
Zel-Hijjah. And that is against the rules of Shariah. Now suppose in
Saudi Arabia the moon is sighted, but for any reason it is not sighted
in any countries west of Saudi Arabia. If it is 9th of Zel-Hijjah in
Saudi Arabia, then in western countries it will be 8th of Zel-Hijjah.
Under this condition, if EidAl-Adha and sacrifice are dependant upon
Hajj, then the countries west ofSaudi Arabia will have to observe Eid
Al-Adha on the 9th of Zel-Hijjah whichis, again, a deviation from laws
of Shariah. In SaheehBukhari, this Hadith is mentioned:
"Hadhrat Baraa (May AllahBe Pleased With Him) reported: The Messenger
of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him) gave us a sermon onthe day of Nahr (10th
of Zel-Hijjah): 'The first thing we will do on this day of ours is
offer the Eid prayerand upon return we will sacrifice the animals.
Whoever did so, he acted according to our Sunnah, and whoever
sacrificed before the prayer, what he offered was just meat he
presented to his family, and that will not be considered as
sacrifice.'Abu Burdah bin Niyaar (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) got
up, and said, 'O Messanger of Allah, I sacrificed before Eid Al-Adha
prayers. Now Ionly have a baby ram thatlooks like it is a little well
over one year old.' The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said, 'Sacrifice
it but it will not be sufficient for any-one else after you.'"
(Bukhari, Book 1, Page 132)
From the study of this Hadith, it is very clear thatsacrifice before
Eid Al-Adha prayer is rejected by the Holy Prophet and he ordered Abu
Burdah (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) to sacrifice another animal.
Now, consider those who make Oqoof-e-Arafaat a condition for Eid
Al-Adha and sacrifice. They may perform their sacrifice oneday prior
to the actual day. How do you think their sacrifice will be accepted
in accordance with the rules? There is no danger of delaying
thesacrifice and the Eid prayers (with a legitimateexcuse) until the
12th of Zel-Hijjah. Even without an excuse, delaying Eid prayers is
permissible as an undesirable (Makrooh) act. Fiqh-e-Hanafi's renowned
book: "Fatawa Qazi Khan" mentions the following:
"If the Eid Al-Adha prayer, with a legitimate excuse, or not, is not
performed on the first day (10th of Zel-Hijjah), then it should be
performed on the second day (11th of Zel-Hijjah). And if it is not
performed on those two days, then it should be performed on the third
day (12th of Zel-Hijjah). After that, it can not be validly
performed."
(Fatawa Qazi Khan, Volume 1, Page 89)
In the light of these explanations, all aspects are quite clear that
if Eid Al-Adha prayers and sacrifices are performed before the 10th of
Zel-Hijjah, they will not beaccepted in the eyes of Shariah. But if
they are performed after the 10th of Zel-Hijjah, Eid Al-Adha and
sacrifices, with a legitimate excuse, will be treated as performed
without any defect. Without any excuse, they will be acceptable, but
undesirable (Makrooh).
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF "UNITY OF THE UMMAH" ?
Some people, for the sake of unity of the Ummah, suggest that Eid
Al-Adha should be observed at thesame time throughout the world.
However, this act is impossible because of the different time zones of
the world. The entire globe cannot follow the same time zone. For
example, when it is 12:00 noon in Saudi Arabia, it is 8:00 PM in
Sydney, Australia and 3:00AM in Chicago, Illinois. So making Saudi
Arabia a base, we can not have theprayer of Zuhr at the same time in
Sydney and Chicago.
Likewise, the Moon sighting in various parts of the world is
different. Conclusively, the start andend of the months are also
different because they are based on the actual Moon sighting, as
Islamic months start at the appearance of the New Moon (and end as the
New Moon of the nextmonth is sighted). The Islamic concept of the
unity of the Ummah is notwhether the start of Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr, or
Eid Al-Adha is observed at the same time. This is even against the
principles of nature.
The unity of the Ummah means that mutual relationships and cooperation
must be firm.The conflict among the Ummah must be resolved.Our
strength should be protected from creating divergences. There shouldbe
adherence to Allah's Halal (Permissible) and Allah's Haram
(Prohibited)as commanded by him. Any act that is Mustahab (doing such
a deed will berewarded but not doing itwill not result in punishment)
should be accepted as permissible and worthy of being rewarded. :->