Dear Ali: Can non-Muslims congratulate Muslims on Eid? And what does Eid Al Fitr mean? SJ, Al Ain
Dear SJ: Whether you are a Muslim or not, allow me to first say to you and everyone reading my column – Eid Mubarak, which means "happy and blessed Eid".
Since I’m including everyone in this greeting, then yes it’s OK to share the festive greetings with everyone – of course it would be more meaningful to those who believe in Islam – but at the same time, religion always calls to bring us together and Eid does indeed do that. Eid Al Fitr or Eudulfitr is celebrated in the beginning of Shawwal, an Arabic month that indicates the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
It could be seen as extravagant feasting but it’s more of a joyful celebration, almost like the concept of Thanksgiving. In Eid we particularly celebrate the announcement of the end of “Sawm” which is fasting, and Eid Al Fitr is a celebration of the “breaking the fast” period with a hope that we have fulfilled the obligations that we are supposed to during the holy month.
Dear Ali: What typically happens on the first day of Eid Al Fitr? FA, Ajman
Dear FA: If you are reading this article very early in the morning on the first day of Eid, say for example 5am, most people are conducting their Eid prayer, which is different from the other five prayers Muslims conduct on a daily basis.
This is where the “Eid prayer Masalla” will be used. Masalla means “the area where people pray at”, so it’s not necessarily a mosque-shaped building.
Most worshippers, especially fathers and sons, will wear their new traditional clothes and will conduct their prayers and greetings with others, then it depends on the individuals as to how they will spend the rest of the day. Some will head to the sheikhs’ Eid welcoming receptions to congratulate them on Eid, and after that, most will go home to celebrate the festival with their families – mother, father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even friends and neighbours. Children in general experience Eid differently because in our tradition, we give some money to them so they can celebrate this occasion. Some people also give sweets, though these days children are more aware that money is better, since they can buy what they want instead of getting a sweet they might not eat. The money given to children is referred to as “Eidiyah” or “Eid-di-ya”. This is not limited to Muslim children – all are welcome to be part of it – you may give some money to children you meet or who approach you saying Eid Mubarak. After this tradition is over, plans vary from visiting the shopping malls, or going for a picnic. Many families also spend the holidays at the end of Ramadan with summer holidays overseas.
Dear Ali: What is the correct way to pronounce Eid Al Fitr? PI, Dubai
Dear PI: In general, when it comes to writing in English the phonetic pronunciation of an Arabic word, you will never get the absolutely correct answer.
It’s a dream of mine to see our Arabic words being written in English with one alphabet all over the world, but it’s a bit difficult since all Arabs around the world no longer use the classic Arabic alphabet – so each nationality would pronounce it in a different way, which also reflects on how the words are written in English.
But in general, eed-al-fitter would be good as a general way to pronounce Eid Al Fitr, and alternate spellings can include Id al-Fitr and Eid ul-Fitr.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask a question