HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI
Before Hari Raya, the Muslims have to fast for one month which is in the Islam calendar called Ramadan, the objective for fasting is to let the Muslims feel the suffers of other people in other countries who are suffering from starvation so that they can feel that they are fortunate enough to have all the thing we take for granted for living in a prosperous country. In the month of Ramadan, the Muslims have to wake early in the morning to have an early. Breakfast call the sahur, this is to help them from not to feel very hungry during their fast. After they took their sahur they have to say some prayer to justify that they are doing fasting on that day or seen fasting on the month of Ramadan is a compulsory for all the Muslims, on the first day of fasting they could say a prayer to justify that they doing a month of fasting. Some of them practice these because in situation they forget to wake up to take their sahur and forget to say the prayer they need not to worry as that had said the 1 month prayer. The sahur can only be done before the break morning prays which is called Subuh after that it is along hard day of fasting.
The Muslims will break their fast at around 7.15pm which is when the evening prays called Magrib. After their meal, they will do normal prayer then the men would go to the mosque to their special prayer after their normal night prayer called Isyak . The special prayer, which is called Terawih can only be done on the month of Ramadan.
During the month of Ramadan, all adult Muslims must fast from dawn to sunset. This means abstaining from eating and drinking. During the hours of fasting, Muslims must not smoke nor have sexual relations. Travelers and the sick can defer fasting and make it up later. A Muslim is expected to make a greater effort to refrain from all bad acts during the fast. He should not tell lie, break a promise or do any deceitful act. The purpose of fasting is to remind of the importance of self-control and submitting to the will of God.
Beside the fast, Muslims also fulfill the following observances, Terawih prayer (night prayer) and the giving of zakat fitrah (religious obligatory dues for charity). Hence it touches the individual and his relationship to god, among other Muslims and society in general.
Before the celebrating of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, the Muslims will do shopping for new clothes new decoration for the house, this also including cleaning house. Cleaning the house including decorating it, some even gone to the extend of renovating it! The objective of doing is so obvious!
Its because it of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri which also signify as a winning day for all the Muslims after a month of ‘hardship’. It is also signify as personal triumph for all the Muslims. During the last few days of the Ramadan, Muslims will be busy doing the ketupat (rice cooked in packets of coconuts leaves) , made or buy a lot of goodies and sweets and cooked a few kind of gravies such as rendang (a spicy beef dish) and sayur-lodeh (vegetables with coconut milk).
Hari Raya Aidil Fitri is a day rejoicing and thanksgiving. Muslims rejoice because they have fulfilled God’s command of discipline, piety (devotion to religion) and collective worship.
On the actual day, early in the morning the Muslims have to go to the mosque to do their Hari Raya Aidil Fitri prayers, the reason of these is to symbolize as a triumph day for the Muslims. After that the Muslims visit friends and relatives to seek forgiveness from the elders and vice-versa. Muslims do these for the period of one month which the month of Syawal in the Muslim calendar.
For Muslims it is the time of great rejoicing and thanksgiving to God. Muslims wear their new clothes and god to the mosque to pray together (congregational prayer). It is the day for making a new start in the spirit of peace and forgiveness. In addition, the zakat fitrah is also given to the poor and the needy before Hari Raya Aidil Fitri so that they can make preparations for the happy occasion.
After the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, the Muslims could fast for another six days. These six days they could choose either they want to fast the six days continuously or break into any other days but must within the month of Syawal.
Hari Raya Haji
This is also known as the festival of sacrifice. Muslims observe the sacrifice to commemorate
The readiness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail in order to obey God. The story of Ibrahim and the Ismail is a powerful reminder of how God provides and care for those who do His will. Its also reminds Muslims all over the world that the must be ready to give up everything for god.
This festival coincides with the haj pilgrimage in Makkah. It is celebrated on the tenth day of Zulhijjah and it continues for the three days. For Muslims who could afford they would go to Makkah to do their Haj.
On the itself Muslims will wear new clothes and going to the mosques to perform the special Eidul-Adha ((Hari Raya) prayers. Then the day is full swing. Those who can afford it will observe the duty of sacrifice the sheep, lambs or cattle are slaughtered facing towards the direction of the Kaabah, in Makkah. The meat is then shared, not just amongst the family and the neighbors but, more importantly, with the poor and the needy.
