Among all Muslim holidays, Bayram is one of the most important. Another name common to believers is Eid al-Fitr. It is celebrated for three days in a month, in Arabic it is called Chavval, timed to the end of the Ramadan fast. Therefore, it is also called Ramadan Bayram. We will talk more about this holiday below.
Holiday setting
According to Islamic tradition, the Ramadan Bayram holiday was established by the founder of Islam - the prophet Muhammad. It happened in 624. Since then, the Ummah, that is, a worldwide community of believers, annually celebrates this day, as their religion requires.
Celebration Image
In Christianity during Easter, believers greet each other with the words "Christ is risen!" A similar exclamation to Ramadan Bayram among Muslims is the Arabic phrase “Eid Mubarak!” It is translated as follows: "Blessed holiday!". Celebration days in most traditionally Muslim countries are considered holidays at the state level, which means that at this time practically everyone has a weekend and no one works. The day begins with ablution, which has a ritual character. Then you must visit the mosque, in which a public prayer is held with the reading of a special text - id-namaz. This is a special prayer in Arabic dedicated to this holiday, and therefore it is read only once a year.
Features of id prayer
This ceremony begins at dawn and continues until lunchtime. At its core, it is a form of prayer. It is best to do it in a mosque together with other believers, but if circumstances prevent this, then prayer can be carried out at home alone, but also no later than the lunch azan. In addition to prayer on this day, you need to give zakat - compulsory alms, which is one of the pillars of Islam. Moreover, this is supposed to be done before the holiday prayer begins. Ramadan Bayram should be celebrated by all Muslims, these days it is not supposed to mourn, and therefore, Zakat alms are most often given to the poor so that they can buy new clothes and eat well.
What to do on holiday
Like any celebration, Bayram is a holiday on which tables are laid and refreshments are set. Believers go to visit each other and invite them to share a friendly meal. It is also important to visit your parents and other relatives. If this is impossible to do personally, then at least you need to send a postcard, or somehow convey your congratulations. Ramadan Bayram also requires that all the sick, the lonely and the poor, should not be forgotten. Therefore, religion prescribes paying attention to such people and participating in their lives with a gift, a visit and refreshments. Children, as a rule, also receive gifts from their parents and spend time in games and fun. Also, the deceased relatives are not forgotten in Bayram. The holiday assumes that believers will visit the graves of their dead and perform prayers for them in their honor. As for the enemies, the traditions of this day require a person to come to terms with everyone with whom he was in a quarrel and make peace.
There is also a special tradition of praying on the night before the holiday. According to Islamic legends, prayers offered at night on the eve of the holiday of Bayram have special power - Allah’s ear is especially attentive to them, and if a person pronounces them sincerely, they are credited to the person. The only thing recommended is not to abuse the vigil on a festive night so as not to oversleep the most important prayer in the mosque in the morning.
The meaning of the holiday
In general, in Islam there are only two dates of Muslim holidays, the significance of which is so great. In addition to Bayram described above, this is Eid-ul-Adha - a day dedicated to the completion of the pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca to the Kaaba. Bayram, as mentioned above, is the result of the fasting Ramadan, in which every believer is required to abstain from food, drink, amusement and intimacy before sunset. This is done in order to temper willpower, free up time for spiritual exercises, do good deeds, pacify desires and extinguish your passions. Both Hajj and fasting are self-efforts made to advance along the path proposed by Islam. It is the completion of successful spiritual work that is celebrated in these great holidays. At the same time, existing moral standards require Muslims to maintain the level of excellence that was achieved during these pious exercises. That is, the end of the holy fast of Ramadan does not mean that now you can again return to all your previous sins and bad habits. Quite the contrary, leaving once, they must be left forever, and thus, the time of fasting becomes the time of internal transformation. This is necessary to arouse the contentment of Allah and his approval.