Muslims Celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr as Fasting Month of Ramadhan Comes to Near-End

The Holy Quran enjoins Muslims to fast for the whole month the purpose being to become righteous, "O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous" (Holy Quran 2:184).

In this blessed month of Ramadhan every adult Muslim should fast for prescribed number of days which is 29 or 30 depending on moon sighting as Muslim's religious calendar is a lunar calendar.

For 30 days Muslims must not eat from Dawn till Dusk. They can eat from sunset until dawn. In this month not only eating is forbidden, but for the love or obeying God / Allah a Muslim should not indulge in any kind of excessive or vices. 

In this month all Muslims must pray extra from their regular five daily prayers, they should get up at night and offer voluntary prayers, read Holy Quran as in this month the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad and Arch Angel Gabriel would revise the Holy Quran with him.

The month of Ramadhan is a training month for Muslims and to achieve nearness to God by offering extra prayers and purifying themselves from materialistic world. However, the purpose as stated in the Holy Quran is to become righteous.

Righteous means to purify one's self from impurity. One should never hurt anyone, cause any harm through his or her hands or speak such words which may result in abusive behavior or provoke violence and other misdeeds. A Muslim must give up his or her conjugal rights while fasting. However, he / she can have marital relations after sunset and before dawn.

This month of Ramadhan seeks personal sacrifices be it monetarily, emotionally and physically. This month prepares a Muslim to remember his or her creator, the Lord and to gain pleasure of his / her Lord. In this month Muslims give a lot of charity, help those who are in need and fast in remembering those who are facing hunger.

A Muslim fast for this very reason. The reason to please Allah / God. This is the reason after a month long fast when Allah / God has commanded Muslims to celebrate after 30 days of fast, that is when Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.

They rejoice and thank their Lord for giving them a chance to come closer to God for all these 30 days.  Muslims exchange gifts with each other and share their happiness with others and with those whom happiness has never touched before.

After couple of days Muslims will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr starting with a congregational prayer in a mosque, followed by the Eid sermon delivered by learned scholar or Imam then followed by a silent prayer and then hugging each other invoking blessings of Eid on each other.

This is how a Muslim celebrates his or her Eid-ul-Fitr and that is how he or she concludes his fasting month.