Ramazan Bayram - traditions of celebration

Among all Muslim holidays, Bayram is one of the most important. Its other name, common among believers is Eid al-Fitr. It is celebrated for three days in a month, in Arabic called Shavval, timed to the end of Ramadan fasting. That is why he is also called Ramadan Bayram. More about this holiday, we'll talk below.

Establish a holiday

According to Islamic traditions, the Ramadan Bayram festival was established by the very founder of Islam - the Prophet Muhammad. It happened in 624. Since then, the umma, that is, the world community of believers, celebrates this day every year, as their religion demands.

The image of celebration

In Christianity, during Easter, believers greet each other with the words "Christ is risen!" A similar exclamation of Ramadan Bayram from Muslims is the phrase in Arabic "Id mubarak!". It translates as follows: "Blessed holiday!". The days of celebration in most of the traditionally Muslim countries are considered festive and at the state level, which means that almost everyone has a weekend and no one is working at this time. The day begins with ablution, which has a ritual character. Then you must visit the mosque, where public prayer is held with reading a special text - id-namaz. This is a special prayer in Arabic, dedicated to this holiday, and it is read only once a year.

Features of Id-Namaz

This ceremony begins at dawn and lasts until lunch time. In its essence it is a form of namaz. It is best to do it in a mosque together with other believers, but if it is hampered by circumstances, then prayer can be spent at home alone, but also no later than the lunch azan. In addition to prayer on this day, you must give zakat - an obligatory charity, which is one of the pillars of Islam. And this should be done before the festive prayer begins. Ramadan Bairam should be celebrated by all Muslims, these days it is not supposed to mourn, and therefore, charity-zakat is most often given to the poor, so that they can buy new clothes and eat well.

What are they doing on the holiday

Like any celebration, Bayram is a holiday, on which tables are laid and treats are put. Believers go to each other's houses and invite them to share a friendly meal. It is also very important to visit your parents and other relatives. If this can not be done in person, then at least it is required to send a postcard, or otherwise to convey their congratulations. Ramazan Bayram also demands that all sick, lonely and poor are not forgotten. Therefore, the religion prescribes to pay attention to such people and take part in their lives with a gift, a visit and a treat. Children, as a rule, also receive gifts from their parents and spend time in games and amusements. Also, deceased relatives are not forgotten in Bairam. The holiday assumes that believers will visit the graves of their deceased and make funeral prayers for them. As for the enemies, the traditions of this day require a man to come to terms with everyone with whom he was at loggerheads, and make peace.

There is also a special tradition to pray the night before the feast. According to Islamic legends, the prayers that were raised at night on the eve of the Bayram holiday have a special power - they are especially attentive to the ear of Allah, and if a person speaks them sincerely, they are credited to the person. The only thing, it is recommended not to abuse vigils on a festive night, so as not to oversleep in the morning the most important prayer in the mosque.

Meaning of the holiday

In general, in Islam there are only two dates of Muslim holidays, the significance of which is so great. In addition to the above described Bayram, this is Id-ul-Adha - the day timed to the completion of the pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca to the Kaaba. Bayram, as mentioned above, is the result of the fast of Ramadan, in which every believer is prescribed abstinence from eating, drinking, amusement and intimacy before sunset. This is done in order to temper the will power, to free time for spiritual exercises, to do good deeds, to subdue the desires and to extinguish their passions. Hajj and fasting are efforts on oneself to advance along the path proposed by Islam. It is the completion of successful spiritual work and is celebrated in these great festivals. At the same time, the existing norms of morality require Muslims to maintain the level of perfection that was achieved during these pious exercises. That is, the end of the holy fast of Ramadan does not mean that you can now return to all your old sins and bad habits. Quite the contrary, leaving once, they must be left forever, and thus, the time of fasting becomes a time of inner transformation. This is necessary to bring about the satisfaction of Allah and his approval.