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Eid mubarak, habibties!
In various countries around the world, the Eid celebration is associated with gifts, money, family pictures and etc. Exchanging gifts is actually a sunnah and it is a beautiful one, I believe. The sunnah states we should gift one another to increase our love towards each other and that is an on fleek statement! (I mean, who doesn’t love gifts?) However, sometimes people get carried away with all the dunya treasures (the gifts, the money) and megapixels and completely forget the true essence of Eid.
Here in Indonesia, a country born with various cultures and beliefs, it is only natural for generations to inherit numerous traditions. Thus on Eid, we continue our tradition of giving THR (money), visiting neighbors and families, greeting with minal aidin wal faizin, salaam our parents and ask for forgiveness, mudik, etc. It is its own ritual and people make time and prioritize these traditions. It will continue to happen as long as we continue to do this and pass it on to our offsprings.
..BUT.
Here’s the catch. A few days ago, I came across a quote in instagram. It said, “Don’t just inherit your religion. Learn it.” And something just clicked inside my mind. I though this is, legit, a problem in our society. People now only inherit, inherit and inherit. Teens inherit their parents’ riches and blow it all away, generations inherit religion and know nothing of the love and peace, citizens inherit their citizenship without learning the history and land.
Muslims inherit the Eid tradition but forget that Eid is more than just all that said above. People go through the hustle of doing mudik but their minds are absent; too busy updating locations in path or taking photos for instagram. People say minal aidin wal faizin on social media but don’t mend the real relationships that are falling apart. All there is to be giddy for in Eid is the amount of money we can get from our Aunts and Uncles and and even when counting the amount, we are unsatisfied.That is not Eid.
Eid is about being grateful, about alhamdulillah. It’s about being thankful to the Almighty. We have just lived through a holy month and experienced the pain of starving. If He has let us live through that month, then we should know He is giving us a chance to make up for all sins.
If it is Eid, then it is our start. We start clean, by mending relationships, by asking for forgiveness. That is fitrah and that is why there is a tradition of doing silaturrahmi and asking for forgiveness, not only to Him, but also to our family and friends. We show our love and try to increase it by lending them an ear, a shoulder, and the gifts and THR as a bonus.
We might never live to witness another holy month, so why do everything for the sake of materialistic urges? Mindfully experience your Eid. Love your family, and mend real relationships.
I hope we can all become better and better. May everyone have greater days to come!