Celebrating Eid: Let us not have our good deeds in Ramadhan turn to waste

After a month of fasting in  Ramadhan, we welcome Eidil Fitri which is here at our doorstep. To appreciate just how much the significance of this day is to family and kinship , we only need to observe how quiet and deserted our capital city Kuala Lumpur is, during this great day. Almost everybody has scrambled off to their respective hometowns to be with their loved ones although only just for a little while.

However, in celebrating our ‘freedom’ at last from the shackles of conditions that may break our fast during the whole of Ramadhan, we need to be wary of certain things. Let us ponder and reflect on this. We need to, in order to ascertain that all the good deeds we had done in the month of Ramadhan will still bear fruit. Aidil Fitri's celebration is not merely whimsical culture, a time when we may fully delight in excessive eating, fulfilling our cravings and appetite which were rendered to a limit in the month of Ramadhan. In fact, during that whole month, we have been trained to be moderate and to avoid being wasteful and greedy. What more to indulge in acts which are totally against our faith in Islam .  

Indeed, fasting which Allah favour is one that is able to induce a sense of piety and which cleanses the soul. As stated in the Quran, verse 183, Surah Al Baqarah, “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);.”

Fasting during Ramadan obviously purifies our body and mind. We may find that during Ramadhan, those of us who suffer from certain ailments such as are diabetes and hypertension seem to feel better and their illness tend to be better controlled. However, as soon as Eid comes, their afflictions return, sometimes even worse off since it is very easy to over indulge when faced with the various festival delicacies. During Ramadhan, we have put in much efforts to refrain from thinking and harbouring ill thoughts and feelings, to succumb to selfish acts. Instead we tried to exercise kindness and open our minds to the sufferings of others. We should then try to maintain these even on the days after Ramadhan. Continue to fill our hearts with goodness and to always ask for Allah’s forgiveness.  If we had learnt to accustom ourselves with reciting the Quran, then beginning Eid, we should persevere to do so too. If not for a length of time, then a certain portion of it. A little less but strive to do so along the way. Isn’t that what is loved by Allah?

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, “The most beloved of deeds are the most consistent of them, even if they are few.” ~ Al Bukhari and Muslim.  

On the day of Eid, if we had tried our best to adhere to the principles and ideals of Ramadhan, we would emerge just like a new baby, only reborn.  Clean and white, just as the first snow that falls. Therefore, we should try to avoid spoiling the purity of it all by doing something on the contrary. For, failing to do this, all the good rewards that we have gathered with our good deeds during Ramadhan would be gone, disintegrate..what a pity..and such a shame. Imagine our favourite car, just out from the workshop, bright and shiny, looking like brand new. Would we want to bash the car on the wall or to deliberately plow it carelessly in dirty, muddy waters?  Therefore, we need to think twice and be on the alert. The months after Eid can be quite challenging, it is easy for us to fall into temptations and we need to maintain the momentum.  

May the light of Shawal always illuminate ourselves so that we remember Allah as our Creator, hence making ourselves closer to Him. While  rejoicing ‘our triumph’ with family members and strengthening brotherhood ties amongst us as ummat, we strive to abstain from bad deeds beginning from the  last day of Ramadhan, the first of Shawal and the months ahead. Lest we forget, there are the less fortunate ones for whom Eid is just like any ordinary day of hardship. There are those too whose Eid is a far cry from ours, whose innocent women, children and the old are dying by the minute,  whose lives are constantly under attack from arrogant oppressors, bombarded even when taking shelter at relief camps. Let us not forget to offer our plentiful doa for them, wherever they may be.

Kelab Noon would like to take this opportunity to wish you readers, “Eid Mubarak! May all of our good deeds during the month of Ramadhan be accepted by Allah s.w.t...Amin.”

PS. Come and join us. Let us continue to fast in the 6 days of Shawwal. There is immense reward for this deed. Our Prophet has said,: "Whoever fasts Ramadhan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime." (Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nisa'i and Ibn Majah) Let us not forget, okay?