Joys of Eid in a time of global hardship
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TODAY and tomorrow, almost 2.1 billion Muslims worldwide will celebrate Eid al-fitr – a third of them from Africa – to mark the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadaan.
Depending on the sighting of the new moon that ushers in the Islamic lunar month of Shawaal, Muslims in South Africa will celebrate Eid tomorrow.
Eid signifies the end of Ramadaan, the obligatory month-long fasting period where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. The time is devoted to increased prayer, charity and the avoidance of immoral activities.
The day of Eid starts early in the morning with huge prayer gatherings at open grounds and at mosques across the country. After the communal prayer which ends with a sermon, families visit and embrace each other, signifying unity and brotherhood. Gifts are exchanged and there is a festive mood all round.
Afterwards families sit down to a huge feast. South African families of Indian origin usually prepare breyani, while hundreds of thousands of African Muslim immigrants and refugees in South Africa usually prepare a rice and meat dish popular in their respective countries.
Over and above the normal charity given in Ramadaan, Muslims have to ensure the needy join in the celebrations. A special contribution in cash or food parcels is collected by charity organisations well in advance, and distributed.
In Durban, Muslim charitable bodies will feed tens of thousands, Muslims and non-muslims alike, on Eid day at several townships.
Hundreds of giant pots of food are being prepared for the occasion and planning is done with military precision. An army of volunteers has signed up for the food distribution.
In all Muslim countries, Eid is a three-day public holiday. This includes the Muslim-dominant countries of North Africa such as Egypt, Western Sahara, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. In East and West Africa, predominantly Islamic countries that would observe a three-day holiday include Djibouti, Sudan, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Somalia and Zanzibar.
South Africa has a significant Muslim migrant population. One immigrant, Abdulla Saeed, 27, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he came to South Africa looking for a better life. He had no family here. He lives in Durban and ekes out a living selling cellphone accessories and other bric-a-brac.
“I am looking forward to Eid, but it will also be a sad moment because I cannot spend this special time with my elderly parents and the rest of my family. Fortunately, I have many Congolese Muslim friends here, which will help me cope with the loneliness.”
Around the world, this Ramadaan has been a painful time for Muslims. In Baghdad, 38 people were killed on the fourth day of Ramadaan. A day later, a bomb in Afghanistan killed 90 people and knife attacks in London claimed the lives of seven people and wounded almost 50.
These acts of wanton violence and barbarism are contrary to the teachings of Islam. In Islamic ethics, the end does not justify the means.
Leading South African Muslim scholars such as Dr Rashied Omar have reminded us that religious extremism has no virtue in Islam.
And extremism is unequivocally condemned by the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon Him), who is reported, in a tradition, to have declared thrice: “The extremists shall perish.”
It is important to remember, though, that only a tiny minority of Muslims in the world are extremists.
Extremism grew in response to the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and the brutality of these armies in Muslim countries. All this points us to a needs for an understanding of Islam, perhaps a “progressive Islam”, in which extremism has no place.
The overwhelming number of victims in the terror attacks during Ramadaan were Muslims. The overwhelmingly majority of Muslims reject extremism and contribute in meaningful ways to the societies in which they live.
Key to their understanding is the recognition that they live in a plural context and that harmonious co-existence, despite the world’s complex diversity, is possible. While enjoying the festivities of Eid, this reflection will be important.
• Buccus is senior research associate at ASRI, research fellow in UKZN’S School of Sciences and the academic director of a university study abroad programme on political transformation.