The world of Tzu Chi May 2021 (Vol.134)

How is Eid al-Fitr celebrated? On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, Muslims will perform morning prayer as usual, and have their meal afterwards. On this day, there is no need to fast. They will dress neatly and attend the mosque with their family to perform Eid prayers. Before prayers, the head of the family or the father must ensure that he offers zakat fitrah (Note 2) according to the headcount of the family, which is generally RM7 per head. Zakat fitrah must be settled before the Eid prayer, and it is an obligation. Otherwise, it is a normal donation. Zakat fitrah is administered by the Baitulmal and is given out to eight categories of the needy. The Qur’an says: “ Zakat is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted to the faith, for freeing slaves, for those in debt, for Allah’s cause, and for travellers in need. This is an obligation fromAllah.” In mosques, everyone listens to the imam ’s sermon, reminding them that the practices of self-control and doing good deeds during the challenging fasting month should be continued by all in the future. After prayers, they will return home and wait for family and friends to visit, or they will go and visit their family and friends. Usually, after a month of fasting, Muslims will feel a sense of sweetness after the suffering. They have defeated themselves, and that is worth celebrating. The significance of this joy is deeper compared to any other festivals. Note 1: The Five Pillars of Islam form the basic religious practices of Islam. First, shahada (faith) : recite with conviction, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”; second, salat (prayer) : pray five times a day; pray in a congregation once a week, and pray during the two annual festivals; third, sawm (fasting) : during the Ramadan month, adult Muslims abstain from food and drink during daylight hours; fourth, zakat (almsgiving) : it is a kind of practice stipulated on Muslims who have a certain amount of wealth. Those who are wealthy are obliged to allocate a certain portion of their wealth to help the poor and for charitable causes; fifth, hajj (pilgrimage) : every Muslim who can afford must make at least one pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in their lifetime. Note 2: The significance of zakat fitrah are: Avoid poor people begging along the streets during festivals; share the joy of festivals with the poor; purify oneself and one’s wealth; redress wrong deeds and undesirable words uttered during fasting; perfect the practice of fasting. • JAKIM personnel • Religious programme producer • Resident guest of TV2 Sinaran Rohani programme Ustaz Amir Ng Abdullah over Story 2021 • 05 12