Quickly Ramadan is speeding to an end, and `Eid al-fitr is coming closer to us! This special celebration was given to us by Allah to mark the end of the most glorious month of the year; the month of Ramadan. The planning has already started! Everyone is discussing what they will be doing this `Eid – ranging from going out with friends to traveling and many other things.

What should we be doing in `Eid? How are we supposed to spend it? Is there a strict doctrine that we should be following in order to make the best of this time?

As `Eid draws closer every day, now is the time to sit back and start thinking deeply about how we want to spend this celebration. However, in order to do that we need to first understand `Eid better. Through grasping the message behind `Eid, it can be much clearer to each of us what we want to do.

The Message Behind `Eid

Abu Huraira narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting." (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 128)

The first question we need to ask ourselves is – Do I have something to celebrate? `Eid al-fitr is the Muslim's celebration of a month of fasting and submitting to Allah and doing everything to please Him. This is the first pre-requisite for you to enjoy the celebrations of `Eid and be happy. We all need to look back over our Ramadan and how we spent it. Did we truly submit to the Will of Allah in everything we did? Do we have the right to the happiness of `Eid? Did we spend it in a way that is adequate to what this holy month deserves?

If we have managed to spend the holy month of Ramadan as it should be spent, then we are eligible for the happiness of `Eid more than anyone else. Make it a great day! We should enjoy ourselves, go out with our friends and have all the fun in the world – but we shouldn’t forget the lessons we've learned during Ramadan. At the end of the day, we are celebrating a month-long-submission to Allah in all aspects of life.

We need to be able to have fun, while keeping the spirit of Ramadan alive. We shouldn't let `Eid be the end of Ramadan and all the good it brought to our lives. We should make it a continuation of what we've learned throughout. The challenge is to keep up the spirit of goodness that we have acquired during Ramadan.

Habits

Fasting is not just refraining from eating and drinking, it is a time of self betterment. We have all spent time and effort to change things we didn't like about ourselves. We also spent an equal amount of time working on changing ourselves to be better individuals.

We all have our share of bad habits that we worked very hard to stop during Ramadan. These can range from badmouthing other people behind their backs to smoking to doing drugs - and everything that falls in between. If you have found ways to quit these nasty habits during Ramadan then it would be senseless to go back to them now. For 30 days and nights you've worked to get rid of these habits and you've done an excellent job so keep it up!

If you quit smoking, then keep yourself smoke-free and reap the benefits of a better and healthier lifestyle. If you used to do drugs and stopped during Ramadan then don't make drugs part of the celebration of `Eid. I've always found it a very sad sight when on `Eid's Eve, I'd see all the youth hanging out in the streets doing drugs. We should be celebrating the beauty of a month in which we have achieved so much goodness, so we shouldn't celebrate it by ruining all we've worked for.

The Poor and Needy

During Ramadan, we refrain from eating and drinking all day in order to feel how the less fortunate feel. It is there to remind us that not all people are as lucky as we are. We need to keep in mind that for some, hunger does not end with the end of Ramadan. Many people lack sufficient food all year long.

Let's make sure that those who are less fortunate also enjoy the celebration of `Eid like the rest. We have all worked so hard during the month of fasting to help the poor, now is the time to crown this achievement. Spread the happiness and joy of `Eid. Perhaps it is time to make a silent oath to ourselves that during `Eid, we will make sure all the people around us are happy as well.

The charity we have learned is not meant to end with Ramadan. It is actually a lesson taught during Ramadan. Make a list of people you know will not be able to enjoy `Eid this year and try your best to change that. There are orphans who have lost their parents and will not be getting new clothes or toys this `Eid. There are children so poor all they dream about is getting some sweets for `Eid. There are old people whose only dream in the world is someone to talk to and smile and laugh with. We all need to work hard together to not deny those people the celebrations that many of us take for granted.

Keep the happiness of charity in your heart on `Eid and long after. Remember that charity is not just paying money to the poor. Your smile to people is a charity, helping someone cross the street is a charity; even a good word you say is a charity and every step you take to the mosque is a charity. Can you be the most charitable person among your friends this `Eid?

Let's make an oath to ourselves that this `Eid, we will be the most charitable people ever! I have promised myself that my celebration in `Eid will be the celebration of a happy heart. I will make sure everyone I meet and interact with on `Eid is happy, even if only a little bit. A smile on a face that has only known tears all year long is worth the effort.

The Past is not Forgotten

If we managed to submit ourselves to Allah this Ramadan and spent it as we wanted, then we are entitled to celebrate our success. If the lessons taught are quickly forgotten, however, then it has all been in vain. Let's keep it alive in our hearts. Live the life we've learned in Ramadan and take it into `Eid and further, into the rest of the year.

We can celebrate `Eid and go out with our friends and family. We can have fun and enjoy everything that life brings us, but we have to keep the enjoyment in the boundaries given to us by Allah. When there are a million ways to have fun and enjoy ourselves, we should be wise enough to refrain from the few that contradict our religion.

I will go out and I will enjoy the food and the good company. I will watch the fireworks and participate in the games. However, I will not be among those finding satisfaction in doing drugs. I shall celebrate my faith, my beliefs, and Ramadan – a very precious gift given to me. I will celebrate a month-long close relationship with Allah. That is the truth behind `Eid. That is why we were given `Eid to celebrate.

If we hold onto our faith and we will find real happiness. We will find satisfaction both on the outside and on the inside of ourselves. That is the best way to ensure a good fulfilling `Eid. That is the only complete happiness there is.