Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast)
The Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan's fasting.
Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast) is one of the two great Islamic holidays and marks the end of Ramadan's fasting. It is celebrated on the 1st of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "For the fasting person there are two joys: the joy of breaking the fast and the joy of meeting his Lord" (Sahih al-Bukhari).
The Eid prayer (Salat al-Eid) is a central part of the celebration. It is prayed in the morning after sunrise and consists of two rak'ah with extra takbirat (in the Hanafi school: 3 extra takbir in the first rak'ah and 3 in the second; in the Shafi'i school: 7 in the first and 5 in the second). The khutbah is delivered after the prayer (unlike the Friday prayer, where it is before).
Sunnah acts on Eid al-Fitr include: performing ghusl, wearing the best clothes, eating dates (an odd number) before the prayer, paying Zakat al-Fitr before the prayer, and taking different routes to and from the prayer ground. The Prophet said: "Eid al-Fitr is not for the one who wears new clothes, but for the one who is free from fear of the Day of Judgment" (Musnad Ahmad).
Related terms
Salat al-Tasbih (The Prayer of Glorification)
A special voluntary prayer with 300 tasbih recitations, recommended for forgiveness of sins.
Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Islamic legal theory that defines the methods for deriving legal rules from the sacred sources.
Du'a al-Iftitah (The Opening Supplication)
A beautiful supplication recited during Ramadan nights, attributed to Imam al-Mahdi.
Salat al-Qada (Makeup Prayer)
Prayers that are made up after their time has expired.
Khushu (Humility in Prayer)
Inner humility, focus and devotion during prayer.
Wajib (Obligatory)
Actions that are obligatory in Islamic law, including the five daily prayers.