MAKKAH/RIYADH, 13 October 2007 — Millions of Muslims across the Kingdom, including expatriates and a large number of foreign pilgrims, marked Eid Al-Fitr yesterday, attending special prayers, visiting friends and relatives and joining festivities arranged by various agencies and organizations.
The imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah urged Muslims all over the world to be optimistic about their future, learning lessons from the past, when Muslims won several victories against enemies amid occasional failures and defeats.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and other senior princes joined Eid prayers at the Grand Mosque, which was thronged by more than two million faithful, including foreign pilgrims.
Saleh Bin-Humaid, chairman of the Shoura Council and imam of the Grand Mosque, led the prayers. In his Eid sermon, Bin-Humaid called upon Muslims to compete with one another in righteous and virtuous deeds. He said Islam has allowed Muslims to celebrate and enjoy Eid organizing various permissible activities. He criticized those who say that the Ummah cannot celebrate Eid when Muslims in various parts of the world, including in Palestine and Iraq, go through difficult times, and when Al-Aqsa Mosque remains under Israeli occupation. He said the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions had celebrated Eid while they were facing difficult situations.
“By adopting such a positive stand, the Prophet was trying to promote hope and optimism among his followers in addition to strengthening their will power and determination,” the imam said.
Bin-Humaid also called upon Muslims to be proactive, instead wailing their woes, in order to change their present predicament. “The celebration of Eid is not linked with finding solutions to crises as nations will continue to face crises and problems for years to come. ... The ability to become happy is a sign of power and courage. ... Eid is an occasion for creating hope among depressed minds ... it is an occasion of tolerance and reconciliation,” Bin-Humaid said.
The Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah was also packed with hundreds of thousands of faithful who came to perform Eid prayer. Sheikh Hussein Al-Asheikh, who led the prayer at the mosque, called upon Muslims to abide by the teachings of Islam in all walks of life. “Throughout history, the strength of Muslims was their adherence to Islam,” he said in his Eid sermon.
Riyadh Deputy Gov. Prince Sattam joined the faithful in the Eid congregation at the capital’s main Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the grand mufti of the Kingdom, led the prayers.
Eid prayers were also held in 56 other mosques in addition to Eid grounds in different parts of the city. Arrangements were also made to conduct prayers at open spaces in Sulaimaniyah, Deerah and Manfuha.
In his sermon, Al-Asheikh emphasized that Eid symbolizes delight and happiness. The grand mufti called on the Muslims to be thankful for the bounties bestowed on them by Almighty Allah, notably the bounty of Islam. He said Islam is concerned with security, peace and stability, as well as ending bloodshed and urged the Palestinians to close their ranks and jointly confront the challenges facing them.
Pointing out that the Kingdom will hold aloft the banner of Islam, the mufti exhorted the citizens to cooperate with their leaders in confronting the challenges facing their religion and nation.
Al-Asheikh lauded the significant role being played by King Abdullah in the service of Muslims as well as in narrowing the gap among various warring factions. He said it was time for the Muslims to recognize the vicious plots hatched against them. He said Islam is the religion of mercy and reform as well as the religion of moderation and justice.
The grand mufti slammed the false propaganda launched against the Kingdom. He said Muslims should remain alert and vigilant, and should not be taken in by false propaganda. He urged the media to shoulder their responsibility in enhancing the level of awareness among Muslims. He also called on the Muslim women to adhere to the teachings of Islam.
Later yesterday King Abdullah received at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah a large number of princes, Islamic scholars, ministers, senior civilian and military officers and a large number of citizens who came to greet him on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.
Meanwhile, the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), in collaboration with the Riyadh Municipality, has made arrangements for organizing weeklong Eid festivities in different parts of the capital. They include a number of traditional folklore programs, fireworks and entertainment programs at amusement parks, road shows and acrobatics.
There will be firework displays at seven different locations in Riyadh illuminating the skyline from 9:15 to 9:25 p.m. Other highlights include camel caravans, Saudi folklore dancing, rally racing, circus, children’s theater, play station competitions and live plays.
The ADA announced that there would be a vintage car exhibition on Tahlia Street in the area between Abdullah Al-Hamdan Street and Mohammad V Street during the next three days. Plays, story-telling events, jokes, games, art competitions and other events will take place from 5 p.m. till 11 p.m. Harley Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts will also take part in the festivities in the pedestrian track on King Abdullah Road during the vacation period.
The cynosure of all eyes, however, will be four circus shows at two locations near Hyper Panda along King Fahd Road and on the west of Al-Salam Mall on the western Ring Road. An all-female cast will be featured in a circus to be held as part of the festivities at Al-Sweidi Shows Plaza.
The festivities, however, have been overshadowed by rising inflation that forced low-income families to celebrate on a subdued note. According to Musharraf Ali Khursheed, chief pharmacist at a local hospital, the mark-up in prices, especially for consumer goods, had led to the downsizing of iftar parties.
“With the price of rice up by 50 percent, and vegetables much costlier than before, restaurants had also raised their tariff rates. So while parties were held during Ramadan, their sizes have shrunk,” Musharraf said.
Ghizal Mehdi, an employee at a major hypermarket, agreed. He pointed out that the price of tomatoes have shot up from SR4 to SR8 per kilogram, while textile prices have also escalated. Wheat flour bags, once available at SR20 for a 20-kg bag, now retail at SR40.
— With input by P.K. Abdul Ghafour
