Last Minute before Hari Raya

After the beautiful posting yesterday following the expert posting by our guest bloggers over the last few days, today's posting unfortunately will not be as beautifully worded. For those who wants to continue to subject raised by Abu Iman, Abu Iman and I have talked about it and we will be opening up another blogsite which will be catering to the needs of the ummah especially Bruneians very soon. We will certainly be looking for contributors to write articles for the site and I will cross post Islamic related materials on that site as well.

Today being the last day (or 2nd last day) of fasting, I thought I will go into any last minute Ramadan and Syawal needs just like many Bruneians whom I saw yesterday at the shops. I actually popped over to buy a replacement water dispenser bottle at one electrical shop in Kiulap and all the shop sales people were busy catering to the needs of everyone else wanting to buy tv sets, hifi sets, dvd sets etc. Nobody wanted to layan someone like me just wanting to buy a plastic bottle. I overheard one of the managers called up his store to send another truckload of stuffs. Apparently the first truckload sent in the afternoon sold out. Eventually someone served me and I think my purchase must have been the smallest value on that day. On the way I passed by a few other electrical and even a computer shop and a furniture shop, they were all full of people! We have talked enough about this, so I won't go into it.

Back to today. When was the first Eid-ul-Fitr or Aidil Fitri celebrated? The first Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated in in the second year of Hijrah or 624 CE (Common Era) by the Prophet Muhammad SAW with his companions and relatives after the victory of the Battle of Badr (Perang Badar). The Battle of Badr was fought about two weeks before on the 17th Ramadhan. So after the victorious battle against the Quraish, not only was the end of the month-long fasting in Ramadan celebrated but also to mark that victory. Eid-ul-Fitr is called Eid-ul-Fitr because Ul Fitr means 'breaking of fast'.

Why was the Battle of Badr such a big thing? For Muslims, winning the battle marks a huge turning point. The Battle of Badr was the first big skirmishes between the Quraish based in Mecca and the Muslims based in Medinah. The Muslims all this while had been carrying out succesful raids against the Quraishs by attacking caravans belonging to the Quraishs. In this particular instance, the Quraish decided to fight back with a huge force three times bigger than Prophet Muhammad SAW's army. In this particular instance, the Muslims managed to defeat the Quraish including killing several important leaders. And by winning the battle, it was the first major event that the Muslims who were forced out of Mecca two years earlier, felt that they will be able to overcome the Quraishs who until then was seen as one of the most powerful and the richest in the Arab world then.

One of the most important aspect of Eid-ul-Fitr is charity where all Muslims are expected to help the needy. Someone left a comment in the comment chatter box to talk about Zakat. I wanted to write about it earlier but I saw S@S already did, what I will do is link you to her article on it. What's important is to remind everyone that if you are an independent person, in other words, no longer relying on your parents, you must pay for your zakat fitrah now! You only have today until tomorrow's (or Monday's - depending on moon sighting) Eid-ul-Fitr prayer to pay it. It is only $2.84 for Bruneians in Brunei, 3 pounds in UK, US$8 for those in America and for those in Australia and New Zealand, I have no idea what the rates are. Do let me know.

Parting notes - do the takbir tonight first and last minute shopping later. And from www.islamicity.com - tomorrow for the prayer, a reminder of the Sunnahs of Eid-ul-Fitr:

+ Wake up early.
+ Prepare for personal cleanliness, take care of details of clothing, etc.
+ Take a bath after Fajr.
+ Brush your teeth.
+ Dress up, putting on best clothes available, whether new or cleaned old ones.
+ Use perfume (men only).
+ Have breakfast on Eid-al-Fitr before leaving for prayer.
+ Pay Zakaat-al-Fitr before Salaat-al-Eid (on Eid-al-Fitr).
+ Go to prayer ground early.
+ Offer Salaat-al-Eid in congregation in an open place except when whether is not permitting like rain, snow, etc (a bit hard to do in Brunei).
+ Use two separate route to and from the prayer ground.
+ Recite the following Takbir on the way to Salaat and until the beginning of Salaat-al-Eid:

Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbur. La ila-ha ill-lal-lah. Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbur. Wa-lilahill hamd.

(Allah is great, Allah is great. There is no god but Allah. Allah is great, Allah is great. And all praises are for Allah).

Comments

Anonymous said…
Assalamualaikum,

"Last Minute before Hari Raya" was like a slap on my face, a realisation that I only have a day or two left for fasting duties. I haven't made any preparations nor have I got plans to celebrate. Well, the only plan I had in mind was to wake up early that day, put on a very nice dress, take a day off work and take a reflective walk in the park. I miss home.

*sigh*

Eid Mubarak...
Zul-Fadly said…
As you mention that one must have breakfast before going to perform the Eid Mubarak prayers, it is a sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) to have kurma or dates consumed in odd numbers for example three dates and a glass of water. This is something that my father had taught us since we were young and I thought I would share this with all of you.

Have a wonderful Eid Mubarak to you Mr BR Sir and your family.

Also have a wonderful Eid Mubarak to all Mr BR's readers as well.
Anonymous said…
aslmkm....at last someone in brunei is deciding to make a site concerning our beautiful religion...

the youth's of brunei need guidance!!!! seriously....look what is happening around us in brunei...trust me its not pretty....some are confused....some are turning 2 drugs, alcohol...etc3...but thing is you cannot say that it is their fault...yes mayb to a certain extent it is....however i think it is more from the lack of education...well we do have skolah ugama when we were young...and of what our parents have taught us...but i know alot of people that like myself am sorry 2 say have lost that trough mingling with the wrong crowd...and i have myself to blame for it...

but masha-allah, allah has given me guidance and insyallah allah is most gracious, most merciful...

like every other youth and also everyone else i am also struggling within me 2 resist all temptations...2 be a better muslim...2 make myself a better person...but insyllh i will get to where i want my iman to be...amin...

well i have to say that the youths need something 2 relate 2...we need something to catch us when we fall...somewhere 2 go...to talk...to discuss...to learn...to find knowledge...maybe there are places that one can go to...but we are how 2 say "malu" or just afraid to go and ask and also learn about our own religion...it sounds sad i know, but you have 2 admit it is true right???

i can see a great change in the way we as the bruneian youths embrace our religion, more and more are actually trying 2 understand what islam is....well i hope that is the situation....we cannot stay ignorant any longer....we need 2 get out of that 'ritualistic' mindset that many of us have fallen into...where we just do what we were taught of in school and by our parents...we need to submit to allah full-heartedly...not just because we have 2 but because we want 2....2 get allahs blessings, to be loved in his eyes...to attain a greater reward that surpasses this life....jannah!!! ...how i wish that alot more youths in brunei that have been led astray be guided to the right path...not just by praying but through improvement of oneself, in heart and mind...to treat others with respect, to give regular charity, to be kind, to be patient...insyllh...allah guides whom he wills, and misguides whom he wills....insyllh may we be the correctly guided people...

i think by setting up the site would be a really great idea...and insyllh
will make a great change in the future....u might not know it, but everything is a stepping stone to something greater...i believe that this will be one of those...insyllh...may allah reward you for all that you do...

selamat hari raya my beloved sisters and brothers...may we benefit from this blessed month and implement and continue on what we have learned....amin...
Anonymous said…
so how do i contact the admin on this??? can you post up your e-mail???
the admin email has always been available, if you go to the left column and click on 'e-mail me' under the guest blog submissions and additional comments. however the new blogsite will have its own email and that will be posted up later on. in the meantime you can use the current admin email address.
p o t a t o said…
Assalamualaikum Mr Bru-Reso,

Australia's zakat rate is AUD8.
=)

Salam Aidilfitri
Anonymous said…
And NZ's zakat NZ$6/-. Hope everyone had an enjoyable Eid=D

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