Eidl Fitr: A new beginning

The moon has been sighted. For Muslims, this means that the Holy Month of Ramadhan for the year 2013 has come and gone. Eidl Fitr has arrived.

It hasn’t been an easy Ramadhan for Muslims in Mindanao. From the moment Ramadhan began this year, there has been continuous armed conflict in several areas of Maguindanao and North Cotabato.

On top of these skirmishes, the unpredictable weather and the heavily silted condition of the Rio Grande de Mindanao have caused massive flooding in various areas in Maguindanao and Cotabato City. A state of emergency was declared because of the floods. The armed conflict and the flooding have resulted to a large number of internally displaced persons, including Muslims who, despite these hardships, are still fasting.

On July 26, a bomb exploded in Cagayan de Oro City while a similar incident happened in Cotabato City on August 5. Both of these horrendous incidents resulted in numerous casualties, invoking fear and uncertainty in the hearts of people in Mindanao.

Not a few people and institutions were quick to pin the blame on Muslims, the convenient scapegoats as always. This tendency to blame Muslims for every act of violence in Mindanao is still prevalent, despite the clarifications made every now and then, that Islam does not allow the taking of innocent lives. In Islam, if you take one innocent life, it is as if you have killed all the people in the world.

Yes, it hasn’t been an easy Ramadhan for Muslims in Mindanao. However, these recent incidents have not only elicited expressions of condemnation from different groups; they have also given rise to statements of continued support and faith in the ongoing peace process. People are still hopeful and this faith in the process spells all the difference. The resolve to have a more peaceful Mindanao has not wavered.

For Muslims, the Holy Month of Ramadhan is the perfect time for spiritual upliftment and strengthening of faith. It is not easy to bid it farewell.

During the prayer, Muslims listen to sermons given by the Imams. In light of recent events in Mindanao, it is to be expected that many, if not all, of these sermons in the affected areas this year would focus on the values of patience, forgiveness, and reconciliation – values which are highly important in Islam and are reinforced more strongly during Ramadhan.



Eid Fitr is the first day of Shawaal, the tenth month of the Muslim year. Eidl Fitr marks the end of a month of fasting, and it starts with a congregational prayer.

Muslims all over the world gather and pray together on this special day. It is a time to worship the Almighty Allah, to thank Him for allowing us to survive the month of sacrifice. This gratitude is always tinged by a bit of sadness, as one cannot help but be saddened that Ramadhan has ended.

On this day, Muslims are also encouraged to give charity. Islam encourages Muslims to develop a social humanitarian character, and the Eidl Fitr is one occasion where Muslims can once more display their strong sense of community. This value is also particularly relevant to the peace process, as people are more keen on taking a proactive stance in preparing for the Bangsamoro.

Festivities follow the Eidl Fitr prayer. These festivities could last for days. Muslims grab this chance to visit relatives and feast together on food, the preparation of which has been planned long before the actual Eid.

Muslims also buy new clothes, to be worn specifically on this day. In these trying times in Mindanao, the festivities will probably not be as lavish nor as extensive as in years past, and new clothes might be out of the question for many, but one way or another, Muslims will find a way to be with their loved ones on Eidl Fitr.

Eidl Fitr is both an ending and a beginning. It signifies the end of Ramadhan, and it also signifies a fresh start after a month of spiritual and physical sacrifice. With the values of peace and forgiveness that are at the core of Islam, may this Eid also signify the beginning of a more peaceful era. – YA, GMA News

The author, Atty. Bai Ashrafia Aymee Alonto Biruar-Mitmug, is the Executive Director of the Regional Human Rights Commission of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Photo courtesy of Omar Mangorsi