According to a Qudsi Hadith (utterance attributed to Allah outside the Holy Quran), the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful Allah says: "Fasting belongs to Me and I repay." The very sighting of the much-awaited new moon in the month of Shawwal, bringing to an end the month-long period of fasting during Ramadan, therefore, brings for the Muslims the coveted and unique opportunity to offer heartfelt gratitude to Allah for kindly permitting them to receive Divine mercy and blessing directly from Him. This promise of joy and happiness on the 1st of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Arabic calendar, augmenting the advent of return to normalcy together with an auspicious day of thanks giving is known to the Muslims all over the world as Eid-ul-Fitr.

Eid-ul-Fitr is comparatively a new festival and is not as old as Eid-ul-Azha. Whereas Eid-ul-Azha, commemorating the glorious sacrifices of the Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) goes back to the days of yore in the eighteenth century before Christ, Eid-ul-Fitr is a comparatively new festival and originated in the 7th century AD. In fact, Eid-ul-Fitr is the most modern and youngest major festival amongst the celestial religions. It saw the light of day only 1383 years ago (in 622 AD).

Eid-ul-Fitr was not known to the Muslims till the holy Hijrat to the then Yathrib (now Madinah) in 622 AD. After his Hijrat to Madinah, the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) found the people there regularly celebrating two festivals of Persian origin -- the Mihrgan (Arabicised Mihrajan) and the Nauruz (Arabicised Nawruze) on the nights of the full moon of spring and autumn respectively. Abu Daw'ud relates the following Hadith: Anas bin Malek (RA) said: "When the holy Prophet (pbuh) arrived at Madinah he found the people making themselves merry on two days (in the year). He asked, "What are these two days?" They replied: "We used to enjoy ourselves on these two days in the Age of Ignorance (i.e. pre-Islamic days)." Then the holy Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah has given you better substitutes for them in the Day of Sacrifice and the Day of Breaking of the (Ramadan) Fast." (The exegetists of Hadith point out that the two days referred to are the days of Nawruze and Mihrajan).

The way these two festivals were celebrated in then Arabia and Persia were not only highly objectionable but also not compatible with the norms and practices of Islam.

Nawruze and Mihrajan festivals celebrated by the people of Arabia prior to the holy Prophet's (peace be upon him) Hijrat to Madinah were mere Arabic versions of the two great festivals of the Zoroastrians, namely, Nauruz and Mihrgan respectively. Both Nauruz, the Festival of the New Year, and Mihrgan, the Feast of Mithra, used to last six days, the number perhaps being based on the six Persian gahanbars. The first day of the new year was called Nauruz-i-Amma ('of the people') or Kucak ('little') and the sixth day was Nauruz-i-khassa ('noble') or Buzurg ('great').

It was the custom of the Kisra (Persian Kings) that the King opened the Nauruz festival and then proclaimed to all that he would hold a session for them, and bestow benefits upon them. On the second day, the session was for men of high rank and for the members of the great families. On the third day the session was for his warriors, and for the highest Mandabh (Priests), on the fourth day it was for his family, his relations and domestics, and on the fifth day it was for his children and clients ... when the sixth day came, and he had done justice to all of them, he celebrated Nauruz for himself and conversed only with special friends and those who were admitted into his privacy.

As in the case of Nauruz, the first day of Mihrgan was known as Mihrgan-i-Amma and the last Mihrgan-i-Khassa. As stated earlier, this festival like Nauruz also lasted six days. But at one period it spread over thirty days, the first five being, according to Al-Biruni, "Feast days for the princes, the second for nobility, the third for the servants of the princes, the fourth for their clients, the fifth for the people, and sixth for the herdsmen" (Chronology of Ancient Nations, Part I). Thus instead of each of the six gahanbars being represented by only one day of the festival, it was at one time honourd both at Nauruz and at Mihrgan by a period of five days.

Both Nauruz and Mihrgan were originally New Year festivals. The Avestan year originally began about the time of the autumnal equinox, and during the closing years of the reign of Darius I (522-486 B.C.) it was changed to conform to the regular Babylonian year, thus commencing about the Vernal equinox.

The Arabs used to celebrate Nawruze and Mihrajan from the night of the full moon of spring and autumn respectively almost exactly in the same way as the Persians celebrated Nauruz and Mihrgan. To both the Arabs and the Persians these two occasions were of great honour and significance. It is well illustrated by the following saying of Salman al Farisi (RA) as cited by al-Biruni:

"In Persian times we used to say that God has created an ornament for his slaves, of rubies on Nauruz, of emeralds on Mihrgan. Therefore, these two festivals excel all other days in the same way as these two jewels excel all other jewels".

The general scheme of celebration of Nawruze and Mihrjan not only laid emphasis on the artificial differences between rich and poor, haves and have-nots, which was not at all compatible with the concept of equality in Islam, but it normally led people to drunken orgies, frequently ending in brawls and bloodshed. Even the Kiyan, the women practicing immoral dancing and singing, whose immorality was proverbial, used to command wide respect during the celebration of these festivals during those days, and even the great chieftains used to pay public court to them during these festivals.

No wonder, the holy Prophet (pbuh) was literally shocked and surprised and observed that Allah had given them (the Muslims) two days better than those days -- the days of "Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha". The age-old practice of celebration of Nawruze and Mihrajan festivals were very rightly stopped and the Muslims started celebrating the two auspicious Eid-days in right earnest -- days in the morning of which are the Muslims supposed to say a two-rakat special congregational prayer. And, as in all other prayers in Islam, there is no discrimination of race and nationality, no difference between black and white, rich and poor, wise and ignorant, slave and master, haves and have-nots in this thanksgiving, congregational prayer of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The word Eid in Arabic means "Joy" and Fitr stands for "break of Fast" and symbolises "Return to Normalcy." Eid-ul-Fitr stands for the breaking of the fast or the joy of returning to normalcy. It reaches mankind every year as a Divine Boon, with a promise of joy and happiness, culminating as it does in the month-long period of Siyam and Taqwa, fasting and self-restraint, Tarawih and I'tikaf, prayers and penance.

Eid-ul-Fitr, the day of rejoicing and offering heart-felt gratitude to Allah through Sadqa-i-Fitr and the two-rakat congregational prayer, in the morning, is indeed a great and auspicious occasion. It is so auspicious that even women, who are always equal participants in the hardship, austerities and pleasures of Ramadan, have been told by the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to go out and say the 'Eid prayers in the Eidgah'. Even the nights of Eids have special importance in the eyes of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who passes the nights of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha through prayers will never waver or be afraid on the Day of Judgement, while others will tremble or quiver on that fateful Day.

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Eid-ul-Fitr is really an exceptional occasion, something totally different from an ordinary festival. The month-long fasting in Ramadan teaches a Muslim how to practice Taqwa or self-restraint in the most scientific way. Sex and food and drinks are prohibited for every able-bodied Muslim from dawn to dusk during this holy month but these are permitted not only throughout the remaining eleven months but also from dusk to the small hours in the night even during the month of Ramadan -- a scientific scheme which is quite reasonable and bearable. This hitherto unknown system not only makes hardship of self-restraint bearable but also pleasant, and the temporary renunciation makes the fulfilment of the basic desires even more pleasant. Naturally, therefore, at the end of the month-long arduous Siyam and Tarawih, Taqwa and I'tikaf, Eid-ul-Fitr reaches us as a pleasant climax and teaches us that Islam is no static system of worship. It is a living and dynamic movement of thought and action which frees men from the grip of animal instincts, from the ideas of artificial difference between rich and poor, high and low, and makes them act upon Divine Guidance. It teaches us over and over again that Islam is a comprehensive code of life, a perfect Deen which covers every aspect of life, and imposes the authority of Allah in all its dimensions, in every sphere of activity, in every domain of thought.

None can afford to ignore or fight shy of this auspicious day -- a unique prize-giving ceremony in which the Most Merciful and the Most Gracious Allah, in His infinite Mercy, Himself distributes the prizes to the winners who have successfully practised not merely fasting but Siyam in the true sense through prayers and penance, self-restraint and abstinence from vices in the right kiln of Islam.

History testifies to the fact that even a towering personality like the great Caliph Omar bin Khattab (RA) was found weeping like a child in the morning of an Eid-ul-Fitr. No ordinary man was Omar! A man of indomitable spirit, unbelievable courage, unshakable conviction, unimpeachable dedication, profound and absolute faith in Allah as he was, Omar had fought many a battle, had weathered many a storm, had tided over many a crisis, had faced many a grave danger, but had never faltered or wavered, had never felt frustrated or nervous, not to speak of weeping or trembling in fear. A Titan among men, his "walking stick," in the words of Emerson, "struck more terror into those who saw it than another man's sword." What is more, even the holy Prophet (pbuh) according to many a reliable authority, claimed that if there were any prophet after him, it would be Omar bin Khattab (RA). But even such a giant among men was trembling in fear like a lamb ready for slaughter.

Omar was weeping simply because even a salt of the earth like him was not sure whether his Siyam in the just concluded month of Ramadan had been accepted by Allah, simply because he knew it well that the joy of Eid-ul-Fitr was not meant for one and all but was really meant only for those Rozdars who had practised Siyam through Taqwa and Tarawih in Ramadan in the true light of Islam. If a grandee like Omar (RA) is not sure of his right to enjoy the joy of Eid-ul-Fitr, can ordinary and humble persons like us be sure that Eid-ul-Fitr brings for us a day of pleasure and joy and happiness? Where Omar trembles can small fries like us remain unnerved?

Syed Ashraf Ali is former DG of Islamic Foundation Bangladesh.