What is Eid Mubarak and a Singaporean guide on Hari Raya Puasa

Simply put, Eid Mubarak is the Arabic version of Selamat Hari Raya Puasa.

To find out more about Hari Raya Puasa was interesting for me especially when my friend remarked that although Singapore is a racially harmonious country, he did not feel very involved in the lives of his friends of other races. How sad but true, as the interaction between the different races seems to be not as significant as before. To some of our non-Muslim peers, the meaning of Hari Raya Puasa is slowly eroding to the equivalent of just another public holiday, which in my opinion is unfortunate that more people do not to understand this rich culture.

It’s time we start to get in touch with the roots of our Muslim peers again. Here I will share on what I learnt from my Muslim friends and through online research.

What we should know about Hari Raya Puasa

·         Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Aidilfitri, is the festival of Eid. It falls on the first day of the 10^th month of the Islamic lunar calendar and marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

·         What is Eid? Eid is an Arabic term meaning "festivity" or "celebration" It is short for Eid-al- fitr which goes by Hari Raya Puasa in Singapore.

·         What is Ramadan? Ramadan falls on the 9^th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is an important month of fasting which a Muslim undergoes as an act of worship and obedience to their god. Muslims will abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk and perform religious duties.

What do Muslims do during Hari Raya Puasa

I believe majority of Singaporeans will answer: go to the mosque. They are right, but that is at best a superficial one. Hari Raya Puasa is a very busy day for a Muslim.

Muslims celebrate the Hari Raya Puasa getting dressed in their best attire, typically new clothes which are bought or made. In the morning, they visit the mosque and special ‘Eid prayers’ are recited. This is a practice to celebrate the end of the month-long fast.

One of the first things to be done is that the father or head of the family pays a special tax called Zakaat ul Fitr (Zakat for short). Zakat stands for purification and growth. In Islamic law, the zakat prescribes 2.5% of property or 1/40th of income to be distributed to the poor and needy. It ought to be paid before Eid so that it can be given to the less fortunate families to allow them to join in this joyous occasion.

The rest of the day is spent visiting friends and family. Muslims celebrate with a lavish spread of food such as beef rendang, ketupat and lontong. Children relish as that they receive gifts and money from aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Anything to add? Let me know!

Hope this was useful for you

EUFASS