Page 59 - Islam In Focus

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navel as in other prayers. The worshippers follow the Imam in these movements step
by step, doing and saying exactly the same
4. At the end of the first unit, the Imam rises up for the second, saying Allahu Akbar.
Then he adds five such utterances doing the same thing as he did in the first unit, and
followed by the congregation in a like manner
5. After the prayer is completed in two units, the Imam delivers a sermon of two parts
with a short recess in between. The first part is begun by saying Allahu Akbar, nine
times and the second by making same utterance seven times. The rest of the sermon
goes along the lines of exhortation and advice like those of the Friday sermon
6. We must draw the attention to the matter of Sadaqatu-l-Fitr (the Charity of
breaking the Fast). This is an obligatory tax, whereby every individual Muslim who
can afford it must give at least one full meal, or its value, to the poor. If he has any
dependents, he must do the same thing for each one of his dependants. For example, if
he provides for himself and three dependents, he has to distribute as a minimum four
full meals or their value to the needy. This charity should be distributed early enough
before the Eed-l-Fitr prayer so that the poor may be able to receive the Day in a
festive and cheerful spirit
7. In the sermon of the Second ‘Eed, the Imam should draw the attention to the duty
of Sacrifice. On the day of ‘Eed-l-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) every Muslim with
means is to offer an oblation. A goat or sheep suffices for one household. A cow or
steer suffices for seven different households. It is preferable to slaughter the animal of
Sacrifice on the ‘Eed Day after prayers. But if it is slaughtered on the second or the
third day, it will be accepted. With regard to the meats of the slaughtered animals the
Holy Qur’ an stipulates these instructions: Eat of them and feed the poor man who is
contented and the beggar… (22:63)
In the same reference, the Holy Qur’ an declares that God is neither interested in nor
does He get the meats of the oblations or their blood; but it is the piety of His
worshippers that He gets and is interested in
It should be repeated that the ‘Eed prayers do not substitute for the obligatory Early
Morning (Fajr) Prayers, and cannot themselves be substituted for by any other prayers
The Takbeer, which is said before the Prayers of both ‘Eeds and after the ordinary
congregations prayers offered during the three days following the second ‘Eed, is
called Takbeeru-t-Tashreeq. It goes as follow:
Allahu Akbar, (thrice) Çááå ÃßÈÑ Çááå ÃßÈÑ Çááå ÃßÈÑ
La illaha illa-L-Lah áÇ Åáå ÅáÇ Çááå
Allahu Akbaru (twice) wa lil-Lahi-l-hamd . Çááå ÃßÈÑ Çááå ÃßÈÑ æ ááå ÇáÍãÏ
This Takbeer means:
God is the Greatest, (three times)
There is no god but the One God.
God is the Greatest, (twice), and praise be to Him
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