Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
There are some Sunnah acts that we should do the day of Eid al-Fitr, among which are the following:
- Engage in takbir from Fajr until the imam comes out for prayer.
- Make sure to pay Zakat Al-Fitr before the prayer.
- Appear in the best clean clothes.
- Go early to the prayer place.
- Wish everyone the joy of Eid and show true signs of Islamic brotherhood.
- Visit one another and exchange gifts.
- Remember the true spirit of Eid is reflected in our extreme generosity to the poor and the needy. So, be charitable as best as you can.
- Make lots of istighfar and pray that Allah may accept our fast, prayers and devotion, and may He grant the Ummah glory and success.
Answering your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
We implore Allah, Most High, to make the approaching Eid Al-Fitr a moment of blessing for every Muslim. Moreover, we look forward to the Eid in which Islam regains its long-awaited victory and Muslims spread peace and prosperity all over the world.
Eid Al-Fitr is the day of benefits and blessings for all fasting Muslims, as they are promised great reward by Almighty Allah for their good observance of fasting. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims express their gratitude to Allah, Who has enabled them to observe fasting and, at the same time, granted them abundant provision during this blessed month. Eid Al-Fitr, therefore, is a day of joy, acts of worship, thanksgiving to Allah, cooperation, solidarity, brotherhood, unity, and spiritual provision.
On the day of Eid, there are some Sunnah acts that we should do, among which are the following:
- Engage in takbir (saying “Allahu akbar”) from Fajr until the imam comes out for prayer. Takbir is recommended for males, females, young and old.
- It is also important to make sure to pay Zakat Al-Fitr before the prayer. Ideally, it should be given in advance so that the poor can enjoy their Eid.
- Appear in the best clean clothes dress that you can afford to, that are reasonable and modest.
- It is recommended to go early to the prayer place.
- And most importantly, to wish everyone the joy of Eid and show true signs of Islamic brotherhood by shaking hands and embracing and supplicating:“Taqabal Allahu Minna wa Minkum” (May Allah accept it from us and you).
- It is also considered a good Islamic practice to visit one another and exchange gifts. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Exchange gifts in order to foster love.”
- Remember the true spirit of Eid is reflected in our extreme generosity to the poor and the needy. So, be charitable as best as you can.
- Make lots of istighfar (asking Allah for forgiveness) and pray that Allah may accept our fast, prayers and devotion, and may He grant the Ummah glory and success.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.