THE nation is set to celebrate EID-UL-FITR or the ‘Feast of Breaking the Fast through the whole month of Ramzan on Wednesday subject to sighting of the moon of Shawal this evening. Preparations are afoot accordingly throughout the country if the month of Ramzan ends with 29 days of fasting. Eid is an important religious event for the Muslims and we share our joy and happiness with everybody on this occasion wishing friends and family members the heartiest celebration. Muslims all over the world observe the event with festivities and offering of Eid prayers in big congregation. People distribute Zakat, which is a share of their wealth to the poor. It also teaches us equality between the rich and the poor. It is a day for feast and visiting friends and neighbours after month long restricted life from temporal pleasure and daytime eating. Eid-ul-Fitr leaves behind a month that purify everybody through self-restraints in religious devotion by seeking the blessings of Allah. The day embodies the unity of the Muslim Ummah all over the world. It goes without saying, that the Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest Muslim festival in Bangladesh when people enjoy long public holiday to attend festivities and visit families from cities to village homes. Schools and other higher educational institutions go on long vacation for celebration. This year a nine-day public holiday offers plenty of opportunity to people to spend time away from busy office or business schedules. In fact the Eid-ul-Fitr brings one of the few occasions when the entire nation take festive look and celebrate the occasion with indoor and outdoor celebrations. Roads become busy; people become tense how to go home and families wait for their dear ones coming home. Eid-ul-Fitr also reminds us to learn sacrifice. The rich must sacrifice for the poor and share Zakat as an informal tax on their wealth in which the poor have their legitimate claim. It is one of the five pillars of our faith and a good Muslim would always adhere to fulfil the obligation. Zakat has been treated in Islam as an effective instrument of poverty alleviation and ensuring distributive justice of wealth and income in our society, although giving Zakat or helping the one who needs help can be an all time round the year affair. However one should not use the occasion to demonstrate the wealth he possesses that often causes death of the poor at their doorsteps. Eid is an occasion of joy and sharing joy with others. We wish everybody a safe and happy Eid-ul-Fitr.
