Last Days of Ramadhan, Night of Eid & Syawal Practices

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

As we are in the precious remaining days of this Blessed Month of Ramadhan, here is some advice on what to do in these last few days.

For your benefit, please do take some time to read them.

The Last Days of Ramadhan

1) Feel the intense sadness.

Ramadhan is leaving us, together with its blessings and forgiveness and barokah.

2) Feel the regret.

For all the time wasted in this Holy Month, and triple all efforts to do as much ibadah as humanly possible in these last days, and nights, right up to the last night.

3) Beg for another Ramadhan.

Pray to Allah, that we be amongst those who will meet the next Ramadhan to come, and make a sincere intention to improve further, the standard of our fasts, in the coming Ramadhan.

4) Dua fervently.

Pray to Allah, that He accepts whatever little we have sent forth in this month by His Infinite Grace and Mercy, and that He allows us to leave this month, sin-free and with an improvement in Taqwa and Iman. Ameen. 

Night of Hari Raya Eidul Fitri

1) There is no Tarawih prayers on this night.

2) Do Takbir instead.

We are to do the takbir, as follows:

Allahu akbar (3 times),

Lailaha illallahu Allahu akbar,

Allahu akbar wa lillahil hamd.

The recital of this takbir may be done until the end of the Hari Raya prayers the next day. 

3) Special Night of Reward.

This night is very special, one of 4 during the entire year, according to Sayyidina Ali (ra).

“One who is in ibadah on this night, his heart will not die, when the hearts of others do”, says Rasulullah (ﷺ).

So spend the night in,

• prayer and supplication (doa)

• tahajjud,

• Qur’an reading and taubat.

Thank Allah sincerely for giving you the blessings of Ramadhan – so many have died from disasters before and during Ramadhan, yet our country is peaceful and you are still alive to peace and wonderful ibadah.

Alhamdulillah wa Syukrulillah, thank Allah, and He will add more blessings upon His grateful servants.

4) Plant seeds of good intentions.

Make a sincere intention to continue practising the good amalan that you have done in Ramadhan – like eating less, talking less, backbiting less, praying more and reading Qur’an more – good deeds that you have picked up in Ramadhan.

Also make intention to leave all bad amal that you have left in Ramadhan – like backbiting, overeating, laziness, overspending, time wasting etc. 

5) Do not go shopping.

Whether at Geylang, online or elsewhere, do not do shopping tonight, when Allah is handing out the gifts and blessings all night long.

When does a worker get paid for doing his job? At the end of his job, right? Would any worker be dumb enough to leave before being paid?

Obviously, no.

Allah asks that same question to His angels on that night – “What should a worker get at the end of a job well done?”

So it’s payment time, in the form of blessings and forgiveness, and it would be so unimaginable if you were busy shopping at that moment.    

Day of Hari Raya Eidul Fitri

1) Check the timing of Solat Eidul Fitri.

Do check online for the different prayer times/locations offering Solatul Eid.

Performing the sunnah prayer privately at home, with family, is also an option if one cannot get a booking at a nearby mosque.

Given the choice of praying at the mosque or at a Multi Purpose hall, stadium or open space, choose the latter. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not perform Solat Eidul Fitri at the Mosque, he held it at the open ground, so it is a Sunnah to do that. 

2) Before going to the prayer.

It is sunnah to,

• bathe (mandi ghusl Sunnat Hari Raya)

• put on perfume and,

• eat a light meal before going.

It is forbidden to fast on this day. 

3) Solatul Eid for Women and Children.

Women and children are also encouraged to join in the festivities by going to the Solat Eidul Fitri. Even menstruating women may go, and although they cannot pray, they can listen to the Khutbah Hari Raya.

Do check in advance for Muslimah prayer spaces online.

4) Khutbah Hari Raya.

In the Solat Hari raya, the Khutbah is after the prayer (unlike Friday prayers when the Khutbah is before solat).

Do not talk during the Khutbah – listen respectfully, as if it were the Prophet (ﷺ) speaking to you from the mimbar.

 5) 2 raka’at Solat Hari Raya Eidul Fitri.

It is identical to any other 2 raka’at prayer except that there are some extra takbirs (Allahu akbar) inserted in each raka’at.

You may say the niat for the prayer in Malay or English – that is allowed.

Simply said, it is as follows:

“I am performing my Sunnat Eidul Fitri prayer, 2 raka’at, for the sake of Allah.”

6) After Khutbah Hari Raya.

After the prayer and khutbah is over, do stay for a while to make doa.

7) Going home.

Return home by a different route from which you came. This is also a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

8) Time for Solat Eidul Fitri.

If you missed the prayer at the mosque because you woke up late, you may pray this Solat Hari Raya at home, on your own.

The prayer can be done anytime from 7am to just before the azan of Solat Zuhur. Once past the azan, the time for the Solat Hari Raya has lapsed.

9) Seek forgiveness all day.

From family and friends, seek forgiveness and forgive all those who have hurt you in any way too. (You can start forgiving now, no need to wait for Hari Raya).

Give priority to parents, in-laws, grandparents, elders, ustads, teachers and senior members of a family, when visiting. 

10) Join family ties.

You have spent Ramadhan in isolation, uzlah and iktikaf, so spend this day in visiting, and joining family ties.

11) Leave all family fueds behind.

Be the first to visit, never feel that someone must visit you first, because you are senior.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said that the better of 2 brothers is the one that gives the salam first. So be the first to bury the hatchet and to join family ties.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Shall I show you an amal that will increase your sustenance (rizqi) and lengthen your life? Join the family ties.”

12) Spend the day in good acts.

Do zikir (as you jalan-jalan), charity and ensure that you perform all your fardhu prayers. So many people skip prayers on the pretext that it is inconvenient to pray while on the move.

Do not destroy your Ramadhan’s amal in a day! 

The effect of performing a Haji or Umrah, is seen when the person returns from the Holy Lands – has he turned for the better?

Similarly, the effect of Ramadhan is seen when a person finishes Ramadhan – has he become more obedient, more fearful of defying Allah – or is he the same? 

You be the judge of your own Ramadhan.

13) Dress modestly, and Islamically.

Many ladies dress provocatively on this day, so as to look ‘attractive’ for visiting.

The end of Ramadhan marks the re-appearance of Iblis and Syaitan, and they are very very upset to see all their hard work gone – as Allah has forgiven His servants and has given them His blessings.

So Iblis and Syaitan then vow to work extra hard from this first day of Syawal to drag us back into sin and into Allah’s wrath.

Remember, Iblis is your enemy, why take his advice over Allah’s? 

Allah teaches women to dress modestly in the Qur’an, but Iblis says, flaunt what you have.

Whose advice will you take?

14) Decorating Hari Raya.

The Prophet (ﷺ) summarised how we should spend Hari Raya in a beautiful hadees, “Decorate your Hari Raya with Takbir (Allahu akbar), Tahmid (Alhamdulillah), Tahlil (Lailahaillallah) and Tasbih (Subhanallah).”

Adab of Visiting

1) Do check with the host when it is convenient to visit. Do not surprise people.

2) Do not make the host wait.

If you have promised to be at his house at 2pm, be there at 2pm. The host may himself wish to visit others, and by being late, you are inconveniencing the host.

3) Spread love and forgiveness.

Do not go with the intention to collect money. The intention is to join family ties and to spread love and forgiveness.  

4) Be sincere in giving, and expect nothing in return. 

Do not comment on the amount of money given to you or your children. Some people say things like,”Oh, what a stingy guy, he gave my son $2, but we gave his daughter $5.” Such words are evil back biting and also destroys your amal.

Remember, many people are out of a job now in Singapore, so they may not be able to give as generously as before.

5) Do not over eat.

Remember, your body has been fasting for one month, and is not ready for a sudden, massive increase in food.

6) Finally, do not overstay your welcome.

The host may have plans to go visiting too. So do politely check with the host, if you wish to stay on.

Adab in Syawal

1) 6 Days of Syawal fasting.

Do fast (puasa sunnat) 6 more days in Syawal.

You may fast on Mondays and Thursdays so as to get added pahala (rewards) and you may even niat (make intention) to pay back any fast you have missed at the same time.

So that’s a 3 in 1 fast –

✅ niat (make intention) to fast Sunnat Syawal +

✅ niat to fast Sunnat Isnin or Khamis + 

✅ niat to Qadha missed fasts.

2) Solat Sunnat Khusoma.

On the Day of Eid, there are many Sunnahs we can perform, including Solatul Khusoma (Prayer of Litigation). The prayer is best done between Zuhur and Asar of Eid.

3) 8 raka’at Solat Sunnat Syawal.

Also, in the month of Syawal, we can perform the Solat Sunnat Syawal, a short 8 raka’at prayer with such immense benefits! 

Both these prayers are taught by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (q).

4) Do not fast when visiting.

It is rude to the host, who may feel offended that you are not eating.

5) If guests arrive when you are fasting.

It is best to break your fast and join your guests (you will still get the reward for fasting). Do not make your guest uncomfortable by fasting while they are eating.

6) Finally, start saving money.

So that you can participate in the next major Islamic celebration – Hari Raya Haji – where the best amal that can be done on that day (besides performing Haj), is to sacrifice an animal for Allah.

So do save up, so that you too can afford to sacrifice an animal.

For those going to perform the Haj (pilgrimage) take this period to do lots of taubat and doa, as preparation for the life-changing journey ahead.

Conclusion

Eidul Fitri means – to return to purity.

So that summarises what Ramadhan is all about, and what this celebration is all about – thankfulness that Allah has rightly guided us back to the path of self purification, hence closeness to Allah.

Alhamdulillah and Ameen.