Each 'Eid is a Thanksgiving Day where the Muslims assemble in a brotherly and joyful atmosphere to offer their gratitude to Allah for helping them to fulfil their spiritual obligations prior to the 'Eid. This form of thanksgiving is not confined to spiritual devotion and verbal expressions. It goes far beyond that to manifest itself in a handsome shape of social and humanitarian spirit.
The Muslims who have completed the
fasting of Ramadhaan express their thanks to Allah by means of distributing alms among the poor and needy on
the first 'Eid.
Similarly, the Muslims who have completed the course of Hajj at Makkah, as well as those who are at home, offer their sacrifices by slaughtering oblations to be distributed among the poor and needy. The distribution of alms and oblations constitutes a major part of the 'Eids highlights. This Islaamic form of thanksgiving is a wholesome combination of spiritual devotion and humanitarian benevolence, a combination which cannot be found except in Islaam.