Imam Ali(A.S)'s Sermon On the day of Eid-ul-fitr
Eid-ul-Fitr is a great day of festival for Muslims. It is a day of rejoicing and being happy. But for whom? Is it the day of rejoicing for those who simply put on new clothes and wear perfume? Or is it the day of being happy for those who were eagerly waiting for the release of the greatest enemy of mankind, Satan, from his captivity so that they all revert to committing sins?
Unfortunately, many Muslims abstain from sins during the month of Ramadan, but come Eid-ul-Fitr, they go back to what they were before! Cassettes of prayers, which were in their cars during the holy month of Ramadan, are thrown back into their cases and replaced with those, which are unlawful, by Shari'ah. The forbidden places from which they had abstained for month long, are infact the same places they go to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.
Just as, when a person goes to a college, or a university and at the completion of his course, he receives his award marking his achievement, we must understand that, the holy month of Ramadan is a spiritual university where we are being trained to achieve Taqwa i.e. piety. The day of Eid-ul-Fitr is when Allah (SWT) is awarding us for our achievements.
On the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) delivered a sermon in which he said:
"O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls) shall come out of your bodies to go to your Lord. When you stand on places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in presence of your Lord (on the day of Judgement). And when you return to your homes (after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your homes in Paradise. O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan (saying): O SERVANTS OF ALLAH! REJOICE THE GLAD TIDING THAT ALL YOUR PREVIOUS SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. Therefore, watch out in those things which serve as your re-creation (on this day and days to follow)" (Nahjul-Balaghah)
