The continuous process of fasting to attain ‘Taqwa’-to be ‘Muttaqi’ (righteous) has passed. We are going to celebrate the Holy Eid-ul-Fitr-symbol of equality and brotherhood of the Ummah.
Eid is the greatest Muslim festival. Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha are the two main festivals in the Islamic calendar. At the end of the Holy Ramzan, the Muslims
all over the world including Bangladesh celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.
‘Eid’means ‘joy’. So the occasion conveys the message of ‘joy’. We should seek forgiveness from Allah for our known and unknown faults and sins relating to the observance of fasting of Holy Ramzan.
All the members of Muslim Ummah have the right to share the joy. It has been observed that the vast majority of the community is deprived of the joyful celebrations, because of their poverty. The poor, destitute and have-nots fail to share the joy. There is another section of people who are chained. Their lands are subjugated, dominated and ruled by alien tyrant rulers or their puppet representatives. They have become the victim of inhuman oppression and tyranny. These helpless people are also deprived of the ‘joy’ of ‘Eid’ celebration. Eid celebration should not exclude the ill-fated section of humanity under economic exploitation and alien atrocities and domination.
Muslim Ummah has long been a victim of conspiracy, aggression and genocide. The recent decades also witnessed inhuman atrocities in the name of establishing peace. Some of the countries have lost sovereignty and people in those lands are groaning under repression. And the root cause of all defeat and disaster is the deviation of Muslims from the spirit and injunctions of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The division and conflict among the adherents to the Faith is an important factor which is the outcome of deviation contributing to the victory of the aggressors. It is a matter of deepest concern that the Muslims, who once dominated the globe, imparting justice and ensuring peace for mankind, lost hold of the Quranic teachings, and are living without sovereign entity in some countries.
The Holy Quran contains many verses on Muslim Ummah and related affairs. There is guideline for their survival as a free, leading nation ensuring justice to mankind, upholding right and shunning evils–thus achieving the most prestigious role of teaching mankind the way of emancipation and salvation.
Here, the number of the Suras and verses are given so that eagerful readers can easily get clear conception about the Ummah-related verses with meanings and comments of the most dependable scholars as may be available.
Some of the verses are : 6:14, 163, 2:128, 22:78, 39:12, 49:17
3:103, 6:159, 8:73, 9:71, 15:88, 21:92, 23: 52, 53, 48:29, 49:10, 51:55,
8:53, 13:11, 22:27
2:113, 256, 3:20, 64, 4:48, 80, 10 :19, 99, 11:118, 16:93, 22:40, 25: 52, 42:8, 49.13, 50:45, 59:2, 109:6, 114:2
8:53, 23: 43, 46
2: 143, 201, 249, 3: 13, 110, 125, 139, 7: 86, 129, 137, 8:9 9:71, 10:2, 21:105, 22:78, 33:43, 40: 51, 48:1, 61:64
30:47
3:13, 126, 150
2:214, 8:10, 29:22, 30:5, 47, 33:17, 42:13, 31
37: 116, 48:3, 29
The members of the Ummah, expecting positive change to have a bright future, should be dedicated in their struggle and be attentive to the message of warning revealed in the Holy Quran : ” For him are angels ranged before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah’s command. Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts ; and if Allah willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him.” (Verse 11, Ar-Ra’d 13, The Meanings of the Glorious Qur’an by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall.)
“For each (such person)/ There are (angels) in succession/Before and behind him:/They guard him by command/of God. Verily never/ Will God change the condition/ Of a people until they/ Change it themselves/(With their own souls)./But when (once)/ God willeth /A people’s punishment/There can be no/Turning it back, nor/ Will they find, besides Him,/any to protect.”
(Verse 11, Ar-Ra’d 13, The Holy Qur’an Translation and Commentary by A. Yusuf Ali)
Allama Yusuf Ali comments : “God is not intent on punishment. He created man virtuous and pure ; He gave him intelligence and knowledge, He surrounded him with all sorts of instruments of His grace and mercy. If, inspite of all this, man distorts his own will and goes against God’s Will, yet is God’s forgiveness open to him if he will take it. It is only when he has made his own sight blind and changed his own nature or soul away from the beautiful mould in which God formed it, that God’s Wrath will descend on him and the favourable position in which God placed him will be changed. When once the punishment comes, there is no turning it back. None of the things which he relied upon-other than God-can possibly protect him.” (The Holy Qur’an Translation and Commentary by A. Yusuf Ali. P. 606)
And for the cherished future: ” Faint not nor grieve, for ye will overcome them if ye are (indeed) believers.” (Verse 139, Al-i-‘Imran 3, The Meanings of the Glorious Qur’an)
“So lose not heart/ Nor fall into despair : /For ye must gain mastery/ If ye are true in Faith.” (Verse 139, Al-i-‘Imran 3, The Holy Qur’an Translation and Commentary)
Eid Mubarak!
Fitra obligatory
The Arabic word ‘fitr’ means ‘to break’ ‘Sadaqatul Fitr’ is the charity paid at the time of breaking of fasting. It marks the end of Ramzan. It is given to the poor and the needy on the occasion of Holy ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’-meaning ‘Eid of Fitr.’ The Sadaqah, popularly known as ‘Fitra’ is obligatory for any person who is matured, conscious, sane and financially able at the sunset on the last of Ramzan. Fitra is to be paid for a person and his dependants.
Fitra is a means of practical sympathy, a symbolic co-operation to the poor and the needy to enable them to participate in joys of Eid festival. The Holy Quran and the Sunnah proclaim the right of the poor in the wealth of the rich. The Fitra is also that right due to them. It reminds us of our social responsibility and economic obligation to the destitute. Rasulullah (Sm.) said. “Make such charity in the Day of Eid so that the poor people become rich and there remains no need for them to seek alms from anyone,” (Abu Daud Sharif)
Hazrat Ibne Sa’ad (Ra) said, “Rasulullah (Sm.) directed us to pay Fitra before Jakat was commended to be obligatory. After that, Jakat was ordained as Farz (obligatory),” (Musnad-e-Ahmad, Sunan-e-Nasayee, Sunan-e-Ibne Mazah and Mustadrake Hakim) Fitra is also a kind of Jakat. The aim of giving Fitra according to Hadith is to arrange for the food of the miskin.
Rasulullah (Sm) described the ‘Sadaqatul Fitr’ as ‘Kaffarah’ of the faults/deficiencies of fasting.
According to ‘Hidaya’, the person who has more than the capacity of managing foods for him and his family for the Eid day, should have to pay Fitra. Rasulullah (Sm.) directed about Fitra in the word : “Pay.” So it may be taken as Wajib (next to Farz-obligation).
According to Imam Abu Hanifa ® it is ‘Wajib.’ while Imam Shafi ® and Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal ® took it as ‘Farz’ and Imam Malik ® as ‘Sunnat-e-Muakkadah’ (next to Wajib).
The Fitra must be paid or at least set aside before one offers the Eid prayers. Ibne Umar (Ra) narrated : “Rasulullah (Sm.) has directed us to pay the Sadaqat-ul-Fitr before going out to offer Eid prayer.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmizy, Nasayee and Abu Daud Sharif)
“Fitra of a person, given before the Eid prayer, will be accepted by Allah, as ‘Sadaqatul Wajib’ (due) and Fitra given by a person after the Eid prayer, will be taken as his general charity.” (Abu Daud and Ibne Maza Sharif). This Hadith speaks of the social significance and aim of ‘Sadaqatul Fitr.’ It is a help through which Allah wants the participation of the insolvent persons in the celebration of Holy Eid festival.
It should be given to such poor people, whose income or cash in hand is not enough to meet his/her family expenses. It is to be paid to a needy, who is helpless and indigent.
Fitra was introduced as a compulsory charity, two days before Eid-ul-Fitr, in the second Hijri.
It is to be paid at a fixed rate (1.34kg of wheat) subject to price variation of wheat.
Fitra is obligatory on every person, who is Saheb-e-Nisab. The low income people, who are not solvent, should also pay this minor compulsory charity.
