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When Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasallam
emigrated from Makkah Mukarramah to Madinah Munawwarah, he learnt of
the two days of festivity which the people had inherited from the time
of Jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic era). These two days of festivals were
days of sport and amusement associated with evil and immoral customs.
Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasallam
then announced to the Muslims, “Allah Ta’ala has most certainly
substituted these two days for you with two better ones, Eidul Fitr
and Eidul Adha.”
[Sunan Nasai #1556]
Both these days have been reserved as days of festivity
and celebration; such festivity and celebration that would be
within the limits prescribed for joy by the Shariah. It is for
this reason that the Úlama state that, expressing one’s delight and
joy on these days is not only meritorious but in fact forms part of
the salient features of Islam .
[Fathul Bari #950]
Greeting and congratulating one another with
special wordings
is another aspect which enhances the joy of this day. This has been the practice
of the honorable Sahabah
radi allahu anhum,
Tabieen
رحمهم الله
as well as those coming thereafter. There are several narrations which support
this practice of theirs. A few of these are quoted below:
Sayyiduna Jubayr Ibn Nufayr
radi allahu anhum
states, “When the Sahabah
radi allahu anhum
of Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wasallam
met one another on the day of Eid, they would say to each other, ‘May
Allah accept (the worship) from us and from you!”
[Muhamiliyat,
kaza fil Fathil Bari #952]
Muhammad
Ibn Ziyad
رحمه الله
(a
Tabi’ee)
states, “I used to be with Abu Umamah Al Bahilee and
several
other Sahabah
radi allahu anhum.
(I noticed that) when they would return (from the Eid prayer),
they would say to one another, ‘May
Allah accept (the worship) from us and from you!”
[Jowharun Naqee’ v.3 p.319]
One should also take note that the customary practice
of shaking the hands and embracing one another immediately after
the Eid salah as an Eid congratulation is incorrect. This should be changed with
hikmah (tact and wisdom).
[Raddul Muhtar v.6 p.381; Ahsanul Fatawa v.1 p.354]
The
servant of Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez
الله
رحمه,
Adham,
mentions, “We used to congratulate Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez (the
Khalifah of the time) on both the Eids with the words,
‘O leader of the Muslims!
May
Allah accept (the worship) from us and from you.’ He would reply with the very
same words and he
would not disapprove of this practice.”
[Sunanul Kubra Lilbayhaqi v.3 p.319]
The books of ahadith contain other similar incidents of this nature to support
this noble practice of greeting one another with these words.
To sum
up the discussion, we quote the statement of Imam Abu Bakr Al Aajurree
رحمه الله
whose
practice was to only record and mention the selected and preferred practices of
the Sahabah
radi allahu anhum.
He
states
regarding these greetings, “This was the (continuous) practice of the Sahabah
radi allahu anhum
as well as that of the Úlama.”
[Al Insaf v.2 p.441; kaza Fi Juzin Fit-Tahniati Fil A’yadi Wa Ghayriha libni
Hajar]
The
Fuqaha (Jurists) mention, “This (type of greeting) is a commendable and
praiseworthy practice since it is supported by many incidents of the Sahabah
radi allahu anhum
and Tabi’een.”
[Hashiyatut Tahtawi p.530]
A closer glance at the meaning of the dua will reveal the intense well wishing
it contains for one’s fellow Muslim brothers. So instead of us opting for the
words ‘Eid Mubarak’ only (which is correct), let us
combine it with the very same words which the Sahabah
radi allahu anhum
as well as those who came thereafter used when they verbally greeted and
congratulated one another on these two days, that is, the under mentioned dua:
تَقَبَّلَ الله ُمِنَّا وَمِنْكُمْ
Taqab-balal-lahu minnaa wa minkum
May Allah accept (the worship) from us and from you!
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