Eid al-Fitr means ‘festival or celebration of breaking the fast’. On the day of Eid, every Muslim must take the pledge that he would fulfil his responsibilities towards his fellow beings.
Fasting is a training in humility. Realizing that greatness belongs to God alone one realizes one’s own helplessness, ijz. This helplessness (ijz) is the greatest motivational force in the life of a person. It revolutionizes one’s whole personality and mind.
The month of Ramadan is a training course is self-purification. It helps one to lead a successful life keeping one’s negative feelings under control. Negative feelings are the greatest obstacle to human progress. Fasting serves to purify one’s personality on positive lines.
Efforts to deprive others of their freedom are futile. The only possible attitude to follow is of patience. That is, even when faced with bitterness and unpleasantness from others, you must continue your life’s journey by avoidance.
The feeling of ijz relates to God. One who becomes truly modest before God, finds this same spirit making him modest before human beings. In relation to God, this feeling is called ijz, while in relation to man this feeling is called modesty.
Imaan is another name for the realization of God—the realization of God Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the infinite universe, with astonishing power. One who discovers that all greatness belongs to God understands that his own helplessness is a trial for him.
In the month of Ramadan, it is required that every believer must go through the Quran and find out its message and make spreading this message as his mission. Every year, one month is for preparation and eleven months for spreading the message of the Quran to all mankind.
The purpose of fasting is to produce a feeling of humility through thirst and hunger. Humility comes from a feeling of inabat (repentance). When repentance or inabat is produced within oneself, the dua which comes out of one’s lips, goes straight to the throne of the Almighty.
Fasting by its nature, is an act of patience. Patience means patiently bearing the difficulties and hardships faced in the process of carrying out God’s commandments. One becomes God’s obedient servant at the price of patience.
The outward form of fasting is to abstain from food and water. This abstinence symbolizes that man is at God’s disposal. He should, be willing, at all times, to sacrifice anything for His sake, even if it involves relinquishing such basic necessities as food and water.
