The established and unchanging norms of Allah with respect to His creation necessitate that the events of life should not remain on the same mode and be monotonous; on the contrary, the established ways to which both life and the living have been predisposed by nature necessitate variation and change. Thus, ‘Eed has been prescribed to meet the needs of people and coincide with their dispositions with regard to their love for change and refreshment and their inclination to renewal and variation. ‘Eed Al-Fitr (the fast-ending ‘Eed) has thus been prescribed following the obligatory duty of fasting, and ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha (the ‘Eed of sacrifice) following the obligatory duty of Hajj.
Feasts are among the rites that exist in all nations as there is no nation but that it has its own feasts and occasions. However, feasts in Islam differ in purpose and meaning. When the Messenger of Allah, , arrived in Madeenah, the people there had two days on which they would take part in recreation and play; he asked: “What are these days?”People replied, “We would play in them during the days of Jaahiliyyah [pre-Islamic ignorance].”On that the Messenger of Allah, , said:“Allah has given you a better substitute for them: the Day of ‘Eed Al-Fitr and the Day of ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha." [Abu Daawood and others]
One of the great purposes for which the two ‘Eeds have been prescribed in Islam is to deepen the ties and bonds between the members of the Ummah (Muslim nation), strengthen the ties of faith and fix the bond of religious brotherhood between Muslims from the East to the West in confirmation of the statement of the Chosen (Prophet), : “The believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts strengthen each other.” [Al-Bukhari] ‘Eed in Islam is not specific to a certain country or town apart from another, nor to a particular society in a certain place with the exception of another. On the contrary, all Muslims everywhere share it, wherever they are and exist, so long as they belong to the religion of Islam and are among the faithful believers.
For this reason, it was made permissible, on the day of ‘Eed, that all should set out to the place of prayer and none be left in the house, be they young or old, male or female, and even the menstruating woman (is included), to meet together while affirming the Oneness of Allah, glorifying and remembering Allah The Almighty, in realization of that aim.
Another purpose of ‘Eed is to change the usual pattern of life and break its constant monotony. The human soul is inclined, by nature, to have the love and aspiration to change the work it would do previously. ‘Eed then suits the change and gives an opportunity for refreshment for the soul to be comforted after tiredness, rejoice after solemnity and suffering, and take its share of recreation and what Allah made permissible for it, perchance it would then return more productive and active.
For this reason, and Allah knows best, it is forbidden to fast on the day of ‘Eed. It is proven that the Prophet, , said: “The Days of Tashreeq are days of eating, drinking and Thikr [remembering and mentioning Allah].” [Muslim and others]
Among the purposes of ‘Eed is to be playful and lively with the family, particularly after the obligations of life have placed a distance between the father and his children, the husband and his wife, and man and his kith and kin. In this regard, it was narrated on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said,
The Messenger of Allah came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Bu‘aath [a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansaar, the Khazraj and the Aws, before Islam]. The Prophet reclined on his bed and turned his face to the other side. Abu Bakr came and scolded me and said in protest, “Instruments of the devil in the presence of the Messenger of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah then turned his face towards him and said: “Leave them, as today is a day of ‘Eed.”When the Prophet slept, I waved the two girls to go away and they left. It was the day of ‘Eed when Abyssinians would play with leather shields and spears. Either I requested the Messenger of Allah or he himself asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then he let me stand behind him with my head on his shoulder and my cheek touching his cheek until I got tired. He then asked me if that was enough. I replied in the affirmative and he asked me to leave.
According to another version of this, “The Prophet invited me [to watch the performance], and I put my head over his shoulder and kept looking at their display until it was I who turned my sight away from them.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This Hadeeth gives evidence for the fact that ‘Eed brings about joy and fun much more than any other occasion does, and that among its purposes is to refresh souls and be nice and gentle with one’s family and companions within the limits of what is made permissible by Allah. Al-Haafith said, “This Hadeeth has many benefits including: It is permissible to practice upon one’s dependents on the days of ‘Eeds that which cheers up the soul and refreshes the body from the obligations of worship; and to disclose pleasure on ‘Eeds is a characteristic of our religion.”
However, it should be made clear here that such fun and permissible amusement does not mean becoming removed from human ties or dissolved from manners and thus giving free rein to the base desires for the souls to commit sins and partake in forbidden pleasures freely, thus being driven with the motives of one’s inclination and the devil, without any religious deterrent or restraint caused by modesty, under the pretext of fun and refreshment.
One of the fundamental purposes of ‘Eed is to remember the rights of the weak and helpless, console the destitute and needy and make them in no need for begging on that day, so that joy would enter every house and extend to every family. For this reason, both sacrifice and Sadaqat Al-Fitr (obligatory ‘Eed charity) have been prescribed.
Furthermore, ‘Eed is a good occasion for people to reconcile, hearts to unite, relations and connections to be strengthened and confirmed and resentments and grudges to be buried. On such occasions, kinship ties are maintained after being severed, people assemble after long absences and hearts greet each other before their hands do.
In conclusion, ‘Eed is, in its real nature, an opportunity to give thanks to the Benefactor for His helping people to succeed in worship and aiding them to perfect it, as stated by Allah The Almighty when He Says (what means): {And [He wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.} [Quran 2:185] May Allah accept the good deeds performed by you and us, and return ‘Eed upon us with its goodness and blessings.