Eid is one of the practices in our religion. It is a sign and symbol of
our Muslim unity. When we are
celebrating Eid, we are celebrating the forgiveness of the sins for
those who have been to Hajj and
have been standing on Arafat. We share with them the happiness for
forgiveness. We express our
happiness by wearing new clothes and thank Allah for his great blessing
by praying the Eid prayer.
Eid is also a good occasion to evaluate ourselves and our faith, in the
previous period, and to plan for
our coming days. To do that, we need to have a template and guidelines
to which we compare
ourselves. These guidelines have been provided by Prophet Mohammed
(PBUH) in his last sermon just
before he died. The speech he said in his last pilgrimage (farewell
pilgrimage) while standing in Arafat.
He said:
“O people! Listen to my words, for I do not know whether I will ever
meet you in this place
after this year. O people! Surely, your blood and property are
inviolable until you meet your
lord, as the inviolability of this day and this month. You will surely
meet your Lord who will
ask you about your deeds. I have proclaimed to you (the Message). He,
who has a trust, let
him restore it to him who has entrusted him with it. All kind of
‘‘Riba’’ are nullified, and
only you have a right to your capitals, without being unjust, or others
being unjust to you.
Allah has decreed that there is no ‘‘Riba’’, and surely the entire
‘‘Riba’’ of Al-Abbas Ibn
Abdelmuttalib (the prophet’s uncle) is abolished. Every right pertaining
to bloodshed in the
period of ignorance (pre-Islam) is abolished and the first such right I
abolish is that of Ibn
Rabi’ah Ibn Al-Harith Ibn Abdelmuttalib – he was sent to be suckled in
Banu Layth when
Hudhayl killed him- It is the first right I start with as pertaining to
the period of ignorance.
O people! Satan has despaired of ever being worshipped in your land, but
he is pleased as
long as he can be obeyed in anything other than worships, (namely)
things which you
think of to be of little account among your deeds. So beware of him
(lest he corrupt your
belief in) your religion. O people! The postponing (of the Sacred month)
is indeed an
addition to disbelief, thereby the disbelievers are led astray, for they
make it lawful one
year and forbid it another year in order to adjust the number of months
forbidden by Allah,
and make such forbidden once lawful and forbid what Allah has made
lawful. Time has
reached its full cycle, as it did on the day when Allah created the
heavens and the earth.
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year) of
them four are
Sacred, of which three are successive and Rajab of Mudar which is
between Jumada and
shaaban.
O people! You have rights over your wives and they have rights over you.
You have the
right that they do not take as a friend anyone that you do not approve,
and that they do
not commit evident obscenity. If they do so Allah permits you to
admonish them, desert
them in separate rooms, or to beat them but without severity. If they
cease (to do so),
they have the rights to provision and clothing with kindness. You are
enjoined to treat
women kindly, for they are captives in your hands and helpless. You have
taken them only
as a trust from Allah, and their private parts are lawful to you by the
word of Allah.
O people! Be heedful of my words, for I have proclaimed to you (the
Message). I have
indeed left with you that if you hold fast to, you will never be misled,
an evident ordinance:
the Book of Allah (Quran) and Sunnah of his Prophet. O people! Listen to
my words and
understand it. You surely know that a Muslim is a brother to a Muslim,
and that Muslims
are brothers. Hence, it is prohibited that a man takes from his brother
anything save what
he has given approvingly, so do not be unjust to your selves. O Allah,
have I conveyed (the
Message). It was said that People said: O Allah, yes. Then the Prophet
said: O Allah, bear
witness.” Sirat Ibn Hisham. Bibliography of prophet by Ibn Hisham
Points to note from this speech:
- Universality of Islam: The Prophet directed his Speech to all
humankind by the term “O
People”. The prophet intention was to address all people regardless
their religions, colors or
times (his time or any time after him until the Day of Judgment). The
Prophet’s message was
and still is to every person every where in the world.
- Sanctity of life, wealth and property: The Prophet said “Surely, your
blood and property
are inviolable until you meet your lord”, indicating that people are to
be protected and
their lives are to be preserved. People have to be dignified, respected
and honored. Their
properties are to be protected and saved. The sanctity of life is to
remain well preserved until
the Day of Judgment.
- The concept of economic exploitation is totally prohibited in Islam:
“All kind of ‘‘Riba’’ are
nullified”.
- The importance of women rights in Islam: “You have rights over your
wives and they
have rights over you.” The best declaration for women’s rights is
spelled out in the farewell
speech of the prophet. He demanded that husbands should treat their
wives with kindness and
gentleness. Men are to know that their women are their partners. Islam
recognizes the duties
and responsibilities of both partners and, hence, emphasizes that man is
the HEAD, while the
woman is the HEART of the family. Both are needed and both are
complementary to one
another. The rights and duties of each spouse toward the other were
declared and explained
- The importance of the social relation and the unity of Muslims
community: “Muslims are
brothers.”
- Our main references and guides in life and religion matters are two,
Quran and Sunnah: “I
have indeed left with you that if you hold fast to, you will never be
misled, an
evident ordinance: the Book of Allah (Quran) and Sunnah of his Prophet”.
This is the
reference we refer to when we have conflicts or different opinions.
- The Prophet has delivered the complete Message and in the perfect way.
This has also been
confirmed in Quran This day have I perfected your religion for you,
completed My
favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. Al
Ma'idah 03.
Dear Muslims,
With this nice summary and guidelines to the proper way in life, the
Prophet has fulfilled his mission.
He laid down the foundation of morality, chastity, modesty, justice,
equality and brotherhood. He
abolished economic exploitation, paganism, transgression and all systems
that contradict with the
system of Allah. He left these values and principles for us as a
precious legacy to apply it in our lives.
What we need to do is only to follow these guidelines so that we
succeed.
O Allah we witness that Your Prophet (PBUH) has delivered the message
for us in complete and correct
way.
