Eid'l Fitr

Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar. La ilaha illallah hu allahu akbar. Allahu akbar walillahilhamd.

Takbir! Takbir! This is the takbir ( remembrance of greatness of Allah) that I always hear every six in the morning in the Eid’l Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast). This serves as the alarm that wakes me up and signals that it is indeed the end of ramadhan, the end of one month fasting of Muslims all over the world.

Inah Hadji Hadija was busy preparing the food. My aunt Tasmera helped her in accomplishing the task. This time, my mother would no longer wake up at 2 a.m. to prepare our sahur ( morning meal). This time, my mother would no longer prepare the food for our iftar ( evening meal). This time, my mother would go back to her usual routine of preparing our meals.

Sahur!

Inah Hadji then checked our clothes for this big event. Every Eid’l Fitr, a Muslim wears his best attire, his best scent, his best smile. This is a time to celebrate, a time to enjoy that at last, Muslims have surpassed the one month fasting. Subhanallah walhamdulillah hiwalailaha illallah allahu akbar!

Inah Hadji, wearing her badju Malayu, happily carries her grand daughter Indah Ashley.

I then immediately performed the ablution. My brother also prepared his polo shirt. My father looked for his best upper dress and his “habul”, lower dress. Habul malingkat or beautiful lower dress is always worn to mark that it is indeed a special occasion. My aunt wore the badju Melayu or Malayu dress that I bought in Kuala Lumpur. My mother also wore the hijab and badju Melayu that I gave. My cousins and other relatives have their abaya or long dress designed for prayer.

And yes, we were ready to go to the masjid. As expected, many worshippers were already there. And the prayer started with the takbir, and continued with the sunnah, and the khutbah. Some were crying because of the greatness of Allah. Some were just sitting in one corner and reflected that another life has been given by Allah, a life that needs to be cherished and cultivated with faith in Allah. Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.

Imam Hadji Usman Indanan, the imam or priest who gave the khutbah or sermon emphasized that iman or faith must be in our hearts as this will guide us in every activity that we will undertake. Some internalized the message of the khutbah. Some just took it just a word, yes a word only. A clear indication is that they do not fast because of lack of iman. Or they do not fast because they cannot sustain, or the common answer is , “ we don’t have enough money”. “Jed, makaya nimu magfasting? Di ba 3 a.m. mo mukaun den 6 p.m. pud? Daghan kaayo ka kaunun ana eh.” These have been the common questions of my colleagues and even my students. If you have iman, you can sustain the one month fasting though you are working. “ Makaya uy. Salig lang gud sa Ginoo. Faith ba. Ana ra mana. Makaya lagi ng magklase. Magdiskas pa gud ko. Salig lang.”

Pajamu!

Tiyula itum, the famous Tausug food.

In my case, I want that every month is ramadhan because I only break my fast at 6 p.m., and then have my sahur at 3 a.m. Sometimes, I do not wake up at 3 a.m. I like ramadhan because I do not need to have my lunch, and my breakfast which means that I do not have to buy and prepare foods. I like ramadhan because my mother prepares good foods, yes delicious foods. It is always a festival if it is ramadhan. Every after taraweeh ( a series of prayer done after Salatul Isha), there is a pajamu or foods in the masjid. Muslim foods are prepared such as the baulu, pullu pullu, panganan, ja, apam, juwalan, pasung and other Tausug delicacies.

The Tausugs take a pose after the prayer in Eid'l Fitr.

Ramadhan is meant for cleansing, not just of the body but of the soul also. Allah is so good because he designs this for mankind. Allahu Akbar. During Ramadhan, Muslims are so busy worshipping the greatness of Allah. Aside from performing the daily prayer, Muslims also perform the tarawaeeh ( after salahtul isa, 8 p.m.) and tahadjud ( midnight prayer, 12 mn to 2:30 a.m.).

The Tausugs, young and old, stay at the bay watching the boat racing.

Eid’ Fitr is a time for love and reconciliation. It is the best time to express your love to your family, relatives, and friends. Muslims usually visit their family during Eid’l Fitr. They dine together and share the best moments of their lives. Tausug kids usually love Eidl’ Fitr because they usually receive gifts. Eid’l Fit is a time for sharing with what you have. Playing volleyball and basketball , running, boat racing are just few of the games that Tausugs are enjoying every Eid’l Fitr. Young and old are very happy and contented with what they have. Eid’l Fitr is a time for reconciliation also. This is the time to put an end to hatred and forget the past and bad memories.

My place - Tacub, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur