By HARUN RAZAQ

_Eid-l-fitr is Muslim festival of fast breaking. It occurs at the end of Ramadan fasting (on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of Islamic/Hijrah calendar). And it is obligatory Sunnah according to most scholars.

Tiere are certain Islamic injunctions that are expected of a Muslim on the day of eid-l-fitr. These commands are very meritorious as it helps the Muslim to increase the weight of his/her deeds and bring him/her closer to Allah.

These commands include: stop fasting immediately new moon of Shawwal is cited and has been endorsed by the Muslim leader in your country (e.g. in Nigeria by Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaj Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III the Sultan of Sokoto); pay your zakatul-fitr before the eid prayer; prepare for the eid prayer with your family as early as possible; perform Ghusl (eid bath) before going out for the prayer; wear a new (or best) of your clothes, men only should apply perfume to ‘ed; use Miswak (tooth-brush); eat before the salah; because of the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Anas ibn Maalik, who said that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) used not to go out on the morning of eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates of which he would eat an odd number.

Al-Bukhari, 953. It is mustahabb to eat before going out to emphasize the fact that it is forbidden to fast on that day and to demonstrate that the fast has ended. Ibn Hajar (r.a) suggested that the reason for that was so as to ward off the possibility of adding to the fast, and to hasten to obey the command of Allah.

(Al-Fath, 2/446) Whoever does not have any dates may break his fast with anything that is permissible. Proceed to praying ground on time with your family; pronounce the takbirat (Q2:185)

“Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, laailaha illa-lahu Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, Allah, Akbar, Walillahi-l-hamd” as you move to eid; the prayer is valid for men, women, children, travelers, residents etc; go to the eid by one route and then return home through another route; do the salat while the sun is approximately 2 Rumah (i.e. six meter) above the horizon; avoid nawafil at the eid ground just wait for the congregational one; listens to the Khuthbah after the salat; congratulate one another on the days of ‘Eid by saying “Taqabbal mina wa minka” (may Allah accept it from us and you) or eid Mubaraq”; avoid sinful engagements; be happy and kind to others such as the less privilege by giving them food, halal drinks etc; full of thanks to Allah for His favours on you.