In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. Salaam and happy Eid-e Fitr to you all, especially after the month long fasting of the blessed month of Ramadhan. May God accept your sincere and selfless acts of worship, Amen.

"O Allah! Allah! Possessor of Grandeur and Sublimity, Possessor of Generosity and Might, Possessor of Pardon and Mercy, Possessor of Awe and Forgiveness! We implore You for the sake of this day which You have appointed as a festival for the Muslims and for Mohammad (SAWA) and his progeny as a reservoir (of blessings), a distinction, an honour, and abundance. Bless Mohammad (SAWA) and his progeny and admit me to all the bounties to which You have admitted Mohammad (SAWA) and his progeny, and keep me away from all evils from which You have kept away Mohammad (SAWA) and his progeny. May Your blessings be upon him and his progeny. I beseech You of all the best that has been implored for by Your virtuously good servants, and I seek Your protection from all those evils from which Your sincere servants have sought Your protection."

What we recited to you was the Qonout Supplication of the Special Eid Prayer, which millions of Muslims recite in unison worldwide today. It is obvious from the wordings of this supplication that Eid-e Fitr is a day of great blessings and divine bounties. It is the day of reaffirming of our own innate 'fitra' or God-given nature, called Islam, upon which every human being is born – and it is the parents and the polluted environment around that later mislead him/her into becoming an adherent of one of the deviated creeds or an atheist.

Eid-e Fitr is thus the day of renewing of the covenant with God Almighty for His endless favours, especially after the month-long fasting of Ramadhan that purifies the believers, strengthens their faith, instils in them the hope in divine mercy, inculcates the feeling for self-reform and encourages them to do good to others in society. The Divine Banquet that was spread out for one full month may be over but Divine Blessings will never cease for the seekers of Truth.

The Eid Prayer, which is performed in the morning hours, is without doubt one of the finest displays of Islamic solidarity. The sight of rows upon rows of the faithful standing solemnly in the presence of Omnipresent God as a form of thanksgiving; bowing in unison and prostrating in unison; is indeed a marvellous spectacle to behold – perhaps even for the celestial angels.

In view of this bounty, a true Muslim ought to reflect on the legacy of the Ahl al-Bayt that we have received in the form of prayers, supplications, and the dynamic laws of the shari’a, according to which we are required to mould our daily behaviour, so that our transient life becomes meaningful and an atmosphere of peace and prosperity prevails. The Eid in Islam is therefore not a festival of frivolity but an occasion of real joy on which the bounties of God are appreciated and gratitude expressed for having blessed humanity with such a beautiful world that is a place of trial and a stepping stone towards the unimagined rewards of eternal life in the Hereafter.

No wonder, a famous aphorism from the Master of Eloquence, the Gateway of the City of Knowledge, the Commander of the Faithful, and the Leader of the Pious, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) says in this regard:

“Indeed the Eid is for those whose fasting has been accepted by God and whose worship has been appreciated, and any day on which God has not been disobeyed is Eid.”

In this Maxim number 428 mentioned in the Nahj al-Balagha, Imam Ali (AS), as the Vicegerent to the Seal of Divine Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), minces no words when he says that any day on which we do not transgress the laws of God is a day of celebration for us.

In other words a true believer, whatever the month or days of the year, is never indifferent to social, political, economic and cultural issues of brothers-in-faith, especially those groaning under oppression in the occupied and usurped land of Palestine, those afflicted by natural disasters such as the one that shook the vicinity of the north-western Iranian city of Tabriz, and the worsening of the tragic situation of the Muslims of Burma, the Rohingya community which is being slaughtered by the Buddhists.

In view of these facts, Muslims ought to take the opportunity of the Eid to knit their ranks. Imagine the power Islamic unity would wield in various spheres of our life, if for the sake of God and for our own salvation in the Hereafter, we were to set aside their superficial differences by unifying ranks in order to nullify the plots of the enemies of Islam, no matter whatever garb the detractors put on as part of their devilish conspiracy to keep the ummah fragmented. Thus, in order to keep our souls purified and safe from temptations, even after the end of Ramadhan, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and his Infallible Progeny have taught us wonderful ways of beseeching the Lord Most High. The following passage, which is part of a lengthy supplication on Eid-e Fitr by Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) the 4th Infallible Successor of the Prophet ought to serve as food for thought:

“Thy door is open to the beseechers; Thy munificence free to the askers; Thy help near to the help-seekers; The expectant are not disappointed by Thee; those who present themselves are despaired not of Thy bestowal; Thy provision is spread among (even) those who disobey Thee; Thy clemency present itself to (even) those hostile toward Thee…

Let us elaborate on the Eid Prayer, which is obligatory under certain conditions, and its time is sunrise till noon. It is prayed in congregation.Women are exempted from this prayer, but if they are inclined there is no restriction for them to pray.The Eid prayer has two rakaats. In the first raka'at, there are five takbirs and five qonouts and in the second rakaat, there are four takbirs and four qonouts. Eid prayer is performed as follows:

In the first rakaat, after reciting al-Hamd and another sura, (preferably sura A'ala), recite takbir and raise your hands to recite qonout. After finishing, recite takbir and qounut again. Repeat for a total of five takbirs and qonouts. After the fifth qonout, recite takbir and then perform ruku (or bowing) and two sajdahs (or prostrations) and stand erect. This completes one rakaat. In the second rakaat, after reciting al-Hamd and one other sura, (preferably sura Shams), recite takbir and qunut four times in the same manner as in the first rakaat and complete the prayer as usual.