Eid celebrations: Lifting spirits during lockdown
Our prayer is that we emerge from this month of Ramadaan rejuvenated in spirit to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to us by the Almighty in serving Him and being of service to humanity.
Eid ul Fitr, the festival signifying the culmination of the Holy month of Ramadaan, will be celebrated by billions of Muslims in various parts of the world this Sunday, pending the sighting of the crescent. The celebration this time round is a celebration with a difference.
The Covid-19 pandemic, and the subsequent regulations surrounding it, has had an impact on the devotional practices that worshipers have been so accustomed to. The congregational prayer in the mosque, the communal spirit that pervades breaking the fast with fellow worshipers, the reuniting of family members, and the large mass prayer on the Day of Eid is what the Muslim community would sorely miss.
The Day of Eid is welcomed after a month-long period of training in self restraint, worship and spiritual devotion.
Training usually serves to sharpen ones skill and ability for the real game. So too are the devotional practices of the blessed month of Ramadaan geared to enable one to respond appropriately to the spiritual, emotional and social demands of both the individual and society in the real world.
The hunger and thirst that one experiences helps one realise what it means to be deprived of the basic necessities of life. The whole exercise becomes a catalyst for positive change strengthening one’s ability to rise above base desires, engendering empathy for the less privileged and infusing a deep sense of appreciation. As in this lockdown period we are suddenly sensitised to the value of love, sacrifice, happiness, family, friends and the many facets of life that we take for granted.
There is a greater purpose to life than just living.
The inspiration for Muslims is the opportunity to re-establish their relationship with Holy Quran revealed in the month of Ramadaan and live its teachings. Our prayer is that we emerge from this month of Ramadaan rejuvenated in spirit to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to us by the Almighty in serving Him and being of service to humanity. We ask the Almighty to cover all in His protection, bless us with good health, peace and prosperity, fill our homes with joy and happiness and crown our efforts with divine acceptance.
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