$ Eidii $... I mean, * Eid * Mubarak!

Dear sisters,
Salamoalaikum and EID MUBARAK to you and your family! :)

Eid is an extremely joyous occasion that we all wait for eagerly! I have to admit, I haven't been able to enjoy the Eids here in Canada, as much as I used to back in Pakistan... That was something else subhanAllah. How I wish I could fly to Pakistan right now in my khayali pulao wala private jet, with all my family and friends conveniently packed in my luggage... *sigh* I can almost feel the suffocation from smog outside the Karachi airport and the sticky sand ever present in the air...

*pinch* Okay, coming back to reality... Here are some common mistakes we shouldn't make on the day of or after Eid.

1) Eid prayer, only for men?

Back in Pakistan, everyone wakes up early in the morning on the day of Eid. The typical wife is usually busy making sheer qorma and cleaning up while the typical husband gets ready and leaves for Eid ki namaz. Meanwhile the wife does more kaam and after that dresses the kids up and then finally dresses up herself. All this has to be done BEFORE the husband comes back from the masjid, because as soon as he comes back, one of the two things happen: He either brings home other people to feed them sheer qorma OR he gets upset upon seeing the wife and kids not ready... as that could cause life threatening delays in meeting his khaandan walay >.<

Point being, the majority of women back home don't pray the Eid prayer because they rarely ever go to the masjid and the concept of praying Eid namaz at home is unknown to most women. This is a reminder to all sisters, that the Eid prayer is obligatory. Some scholars have a different opinion and say that it is sunnah for women. Either way, Prophet (saw) encouraged women to go out for Eid prayer... so we should try our best to go to the masjid and pray or at the very least, pray at home. Click on this link for evidence and a better explanation of this issue: http://islamqa.info/en/ref/49011/eid%20prayer%20sunnah%20men

2) Ching ching and bling bling!

Now, having said that women should go to the masjid doesn't imply that they should go there overly dressed up, distracting everyone (especially the opposite gender)! Sisters, please go easy on the chooriyan and the payals (because all that ching ching during prayer is not only distracting, its ANNOYING!). Also, keep in mind that you're not going to walk down the runway, so please don't wear clothes in which people could mistake you for a bride! Lastly, avoid bathing in perfume, for the sake of people around you, please. It wouldn't hurt to wear an abaya, or something close to that in  simplicity. You can dress up as much as you want at home.

3) Ye eidi hum ko de day thakur!

So I thought the bachay in my khandaan were wild, until I heard stories of what happens in other households O_O. People literally fight for eidi because it's "fun". Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds more like stealing! NOT fun! The cheena jhapti must end people, be happy with what you get! So what if your chacha gives your older sibling $20 and you $5... life is unfair, deal with it (grrr... sucks being the younger sibling at times).

A humble request to people who give eidi: Please give an equal amount to each kid in the family, for the sake of being fair and avoid the eidi battle that happens behind your back. Also, don't hog your child's eidi! (trust me, that is a crime they will not forgive you for! See that woman in the picture? She still can't get over that childhood trauma *tsk tsk*)

4) Shaitan is back, with our pre-Ramadan messed up habits!

Many people forget about the promises they made to themselves about being a better Muslim at the onset of Ramadan and adopt old habits again on the very day of Eid. They feel as if they are "free" to switch on the TV, listen to music, gossip, be less modest, miss prayer, abandon Quran, and to do whatever they want. Sisters, realize that this "freedom" is only a mirage... The true freedom was that which we experienced in Ramadan, freedom from a life of sin.

Think about it, if everyone in this world did whatever they wanted under the label of freedom, the world would be a horrible place! We need rules and regulations to function as a society and individuals. Islam is a complete way of life and so the rules Allah (swt) has set for us, are only for our OWN benefit. Let us remember to follow the rules of our Creator, not those of the creation.

Ramadan is like training for us... this month, we have proved to ourselves that we are capable of being good Muslims, we just choose not to be for the rest of the year. Let us try to avoid sin and continue praying and reading the Quran regularly, even after Eid inshallah.

Sincerely,
D.M.