‘Eid is a time for celebration, reflection, family and empathy’

Before I talk about what Eid means to me, I thought it would only be sensible to define what Eid is.

There are two main festivals within the Islamic calendar. They are collectively referred to as Eid.

One Eid is called Eid al-Fitr and this takes place at the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan and celebrates the end of a month of fasting when Muslims on a daily basis abstain from food and drink (amongst other things) during the daylight hours, essentially from dawn to sunset.

The other Eid is called Eid al-Adha and this takes place during the Hajj or pilgrimage season. The Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on the planet. In modern times it currently attracts around 2 to 2.5million pilgrims every year from across the globe.

The mosque in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that pilgrims visit during the Hajj and that houses the Kaaba (a house of worship constructed by the Prophet Abraham – yes he of biblical tradition) can hold around 1.5 to 4million people.

To give some perspective and a sense of the scale of things, Bristol’s population is just over 460,000. But the Mosque in Mecca is so big it could (at a squeeze and probably violating lots of health and safety protocols) actually accommodate the whole of the population of Wales! Of course this year because of the pandemic the Hajj took place with drastically reduced numbers with attendees from Saudi Arabia only.

In Islam, as Muslims follow the lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar months and festivals shift by about ten to 11 days every year relative to the Gregorian calendar. The start of a lunar calendar month is determined by the sighting of the new moon. So the Islamic festivals including Eid take place at different times of the year. Eid is not a fixed date like the date for Christmas is in the Gregorian calendar.

Rizwan Ahmed reflects on what Eid means to him – photo by Bristol24/7

Traditionally on Eid, Muslims will attend a special Eid prayer early in the morning at the mosque – this is in addition to the five daily prayers. In Bristol, for example, to accommodate the large number of worshippers, mosques will typically hold two to four “Eid Prayers” throughout the morning with each session attended by hundreds of worshippers (depending on the size of the mosque). On a side note what is remarkable is that the prayer, as well being an act of worship, also becomes a social glue. You end up seeing, greeting and catching up with people from across the city whom you may have not seen for a year.

On Eid, Muslims will wear their best clothes when attending the Eid prayer and also visit friends and family during the day to congratulate each other and celebrate. Those friends and family who may reside in other cities or countries you might make a telephone or video call to. Before mobile phones really took off or telephone calls became reasonably priced, I have fond memories of my dad writing Air Mail letters to relatives back in Pakistan that he would get us as kids to sign using ink and our thumbprints. He would ensure he’d post them to arrive in time for Eid in Pakistan. Nowadays, with technology, our home like many others becomes a buzz of video calls back and forth between here and our relatives in other cities or in Pakistan.

Of course, there is also lots of food involved and families and friends will get together to eat and celebrate with specially prepared meals. It can almost feel like a “food crawl” going house to house and being offered delicious food at each visit. In case anyone is wondering, yes there is an exchange of presents and gifts as well.

It’s also worth mentioning that Muslims are not one mono-culture and they encompass many different cultures from around the world. Each community will celebrate Eid within the context of their culture. So you will have different communities like the Arab, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Kurdish, Nigerian, Somali and many others all celebrating Eid but with their cultural influence imprinted on the celebration.

Even though Eid is a time of celebration, we also remember the poor, needy and vulnerable in society. Not just here but all around the world. In this regard, both Eids involve an element of some sort of charity and giving to those less well-off to ensure they are able to celebrate Eid as well.

Because of the pandemic, Eid was a very different affair here in the UK last year. In May 2020, Eid al-Fitr prayers were cancelled and families had to celebrate at home without visiting relatives. In addition, this of course had an emotional and spiritual impact for some as well. But as humans, we learn to adapt so many instead opted for celebrating with relatives using video conferencing platforms.

With the arrival of “Freedom Day,” Eid prayers have taken place again although still with some safety measures and people can more freely visit friends and family too. This is especially welcome as so many of us have been socially isolated during the various lockdowns.

As to what Eid means to me and many other Muslims as people of a faith tradition – it is a time of celebration. A time to visit family and friends. A time to reacquaint ourselves with those we may have lost touch with. A time to also remember the poor, needy and vulnerable in society and reflect on the blessings we have – as this is something that should enable us to remain grounded and walk with humility on the Earth.

It is in this humility we remember that one of the best ways to give back to society is through kindness and serving others – especially those who may not be able to help themselves. By reaching out to them we not only lift ourselves up spiritually but also by pulling up others with us we all move forwards together as a society.

Rizwan Ahmed is the cultural awareness officer for the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society

Main photo by Ellie Pipe

Read more: Celebrating Eid (belatedly) in Netham Park