By: Mohmod Irfan Shah
It feels that there is little joy and zest left for Eid among Muslims, particularly among the younger generations nowadays. We’d rather spend the day napping or sitting at home doing nothing. However, the same ‘us’ will be thrilled to cut the cake on birthdays or anniversaries. We will be overjoyed to take our partner out to dine on their anniversaries. We will squeal with excitement when the rockets go off, and everybody sings “Happy New Year” in sync. What is even more bizarre is the fact that we will participate in non-Muslim festivities such as Diwali, Easter, Holi, and Christmas in a feeling of ‘religious inclusion’ and ‘interfaith peace.’ We not only wish them well on their religious occasions, but also take satisfaction in participating in such un-Islamic gatherings.
Back then, we used to celebrate Eid as a festival, an active part of our religion, tradition and culture. Meeting at Eidgah (open place to offer Eid prayers), we used to greet and wish our friends, relatives, and neighbours. Parents would be accompanied by young children draped in beautiful and clean dresses and skullcaps while on their way to offer special prayers. It was a day of freedom for children and a day of joy for each one of us!
Sharing food and gifts, including (Eidi) made it more special. Going to each other’s houses to share love was what we used to witness. Less technical stuff like smartphones were present and that allowed to greet people physically rather than sending google images- a formality now.
No sign of real happiness could be found this Eid. The Eid greetings ‘Eid mubarak’ were just like virtual Good mornings with no real hugs and love as it seemed to be the formality for each one of us. Children were caged inside rooms, adults were sleeping, and old age parents and grandparents took their usual anti-depressants. It seemed to be another holiday for every age group, Just lunch with family, with tasty and different varieties of food. Each one of us looked like a gift-wrapped with beautiful clothes lying inside the corner of the house, with no one really knowing what was going on.
Allah bestowed the two Eids- Eid ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Azha to Muslims as blessings to serve as an identity for us in aspects of festivals and joyful moments. So, in short, we should aim to convey joy to others. Decorate our homes, even if they are small and simple, pay a visit to neighbours and relatives and offer them presents or Eidi and spend quality time with our loved ones and family that we usually do not do. Then, you can go on a leisure trip, picnics, to a restaurant, or take a long drive to enjoy each other’s company. I guarantee you that if done with the aim of having fun, all of these things will make your Eid far more enjoyable than snoozing the day away.
The writer is pursuing B.E Civil Engineering from SSM College of Engineering.
