Eid
Prayers

Now we know that as well as the five daily Sala prayers

that were considered to be essential for all those accepting Islam,

the Messenger also made many extra prayers

which were optional for others,

the Sunna prayers,

and various different prayers made on the occasion of special events,

such as eclipses,

which were recommended but not considered essential for individuals.

But there are also prayers such as the Eid Prayers,

that although not an essential duty for individuals

are yet considered an essential duty for the muslim community as a whole.

Twice in the year there are prayers where as far as possible

the whole community will come together

in a prayer of gratitude and celebration.

They commemorate the end of the Hajj, on the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah,

and after the sighting of the first crescent moon

at the end of the month of Ramadhan.

For these, whole towns will come together

in a large open area,

like a sports field,

an area known as the Musalla,

or in cities the great mosques will be filled to overflowing,

often filling local streets with participants.

The greater of these,

the Eid-ul-Kabir,

is the Eid-ul-Adha at the end of the Hajj,

when pilgrims follow the footsteps of Abraham

as he walked with his son Ismail

to the place where they thought that he needed to be sacrificed,

And there God sent a goat to take his place

and the life of Ismail was saved.

And this is the event we celebrate on Eid-ul-Adha at the end of Hajj.

Now, of course, many people do not like the idea of killing animals for food,

but as we look at nature around us

it is obvious that despite many creatures being vegetarian,

all consume some kind of life forms to sustain themselves,

God provides vast quantities of life at the lower end of the food chain,

insects and small sea creatures,

all eaten by bigger things,

which are themselves eaten by other creatures,

including humans, the ultimate omnivores.

But in the world of Islam,

humans are expected to approach such killing

with as much kindness and compassion as is possible.

A creature's death at the hands of a muslim

should be quick and unexpected, so they feel no fear,

the criteria for such killing to be Halal.

And the death of the animal is not like a burnt offering,

where what is offered to God is destroyed.

Any sacrifice at the end of the Hajj

is redistributed to feed the poor and hungry.

This conscious sharing of our food with the poor and hungry

recognises that although it may feel as though we provide for ourselves,

the source of our provision is actually God,

This is especially relevant at the end of Ramadhan.

On Eid-ul-Fitr,

the little Eid, the Eid-ul-Saghir,

we celebrate the end of the month of fasting,

a time when we remember the plight of so many in the world

by remembering what it is like for us to feel hungry ourselves.

The Eid prayers have a similar format to any other Sala,

each having two raka

but usually having extra takbir,

with eight before the start of the prayers

and six more before the start of the second Raka.

Also, traditionally before the Eid-ul-Fitr Sala

a dzikr is chanted by all those about to pray

thinking of those who are setting off on the journey to make Hajj.

Similarly, at Eid-ul-Adha a dzikr will be chanted,

not just to celebrate the end of Hajj

but to pray for the safe return of pilgrims.