• Eid not supposed to be marked in isolation: Imam Jimoh
Eld-el-Fitr is a day of celebration and merriment where faithful and their loved ones converged at different fun spots to have an exciting time and funfair.
The festival, otherwise known as small Sallah, marks the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of Islamic calendar and the holy month of fasting.
During the celebration, especially in a state like Lagos and other parts of the country, while some Muslim families remain indoors after the Eid prayer, many spend the day at beaches, cinemas, parks, among other places of interest.
But, The Companion, has over the years provided an alternative platform that allows families from various backgrounds to mingle, interact, share delicacies, play games together and generally catch fun on the eid day.
This initiative by The Companion, a foremost faith-based organisation of Muslim men in business and the professions, is known as Eid Fest.
Muslim News learnt that it has been running for close to two decades under the welfare department of the organisation. It holds every Eid day, especially with the aim of enabling privileged and under privileged families to also have a memorable eid experience.
Muslim News gathered that the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr edition began with Eid prayers at an expansive open field of the former Lagos State Polytechnic, (now LASUSTECH), Iyana Isolo campus, which has been playing host for the event about 20 years ago.
Cladded in beautiful and modest Islamic and cultural attires, the members of The Companions from all the nine zones in Lagos, together with their female counterparts, The Criterion, and other members of the Muslim community in the local government area converged for the Eid prayer, a two-rakat compulsory prayer.
In Islam, the prayer is a crucial part of Eid celebrations. Muslim News learnt that some female members of the Organisation who were exempted from prayers due to their menstrual cycle (period) were also there though at one side (corner of the field) to witness and watch the Naibul Amir (National Vice President) of the Organisation, Imam Nojeem Jimoh, leading the congregation in Salat.
The Naibul Amir later delivered a sermon focusing on lessons brought by Ramadan, including charity, piety, generosity, empathy and self restraint.
Eid not supposed to be marked in isolation: Imam Jimoh
Speaking with Muslim News, Imam Jimoh noted that the Eid Fest mirrors the tradition of the Prophet where both children and adults have a lot of fun together.
He added that Eid is not supposed to be marked in isolation, urging Muslims to celebrate with families and friends.
“What we learnt from the Prophet (SAW) is that the day of Eid is a day of celebration. We know that from his time, children would play; adults would run and everybody would be in a joyous mood. That’s exactly what we are replicating here in our own way. Some other people will do the same thing some other ways. That dated back to the tradition of the Prophet of Allah.
“Eid is not a day to spend alone or to spend in isolation, especially for the children who a know how the Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter.
It’s very good for them to know we have equivalents which are celebrations as well. That’s why we came up with this idea. For those who spend Eid alone, I say to them, find friends and family members to celebrate with.”
‘Eid Fest, climax of Ramadan activities’
It was immediately followed by the funfair that witnessed series of games for both children and adults, including football, table tennis, bouncing castle together. Their parents could also be seen making new networks, reuniting with old faces and gisting on business and political developments in the country.
Guests at the event were treated to a lot food from continental to African, especially local dishes.
There were food in abundance to eat. We learnt that each family was encouraged to cook and bring food for other members and non members. Non-alcoholic drinks were also in abundance.
While speaking with Muslim News, the Welfare Officer, The Companion, Lagos District, Mallam Abdulfatah Okanlawon explained that the Eid Fest is part of a long list of programmes lined up by The Companion to mark the special month of Ramadan.
“It has always been an annual event. After every edition, there will be a review when we present our report. Some decisions would be made ahead of next edition for better improvement.
“The Eid Fest is an event to mark the end of Ramadan. We have activities lined up for the fasting period including itikaaf, television programme, public lectures and so on. By the time it’s three months to Ramadan, we start planning. This event will be part of that grand plan. Different committees will be inaugurated to handle things. What we will now do is to review the recommendations of the last Ramadan.
“In the past, after prayers, people go home and our women go to cook for the family. There has been nothing like merrymaking. So, The Companion thought around it, that instead of going home to start cooking we assemble here and do all kinds of entertainment like bouncing castle, table tennis for the children and all kinds of foods to eat, sugar, tapioca.”
Partnership with cooperate sponsors
Mallam Okanlawon said they were fortunate to get some corporate sponsorship for this year’s edition of the Eid Fest, noting that it went a long way to add colours to the annual gathering.
“This year, we have corporate sponsors. This is the first time we are having that in recent times. We have Rite Foods, Promasidor, Crown Flour Mills. They gave people gifts and shared their products with them too,” he said.
Non members join the fun
Not only members of The Companion were at the Eid Fest, Muslim News learnt, as many Muslims within and outside the community participated in the fair with their families and friends. The Lagos District Amir, Mallam Olayiwola Abdulkabir Baruwa, would later confirm this.
According to him, “To us, our faith is all about caring for people in society, especially the less privileged. About 80% of people that are here are non-Companion members. For us at The Companion, what we do is to provide the platform for people to have fun in an halal way, after the month-long Ramadan activities. It is just for us to unwind after the massive spiritual exercise.
‘Cost isn’t an issue to us’ says Lagos Amir
On whether the economic crunch affected the programme or not, the Amir explained that what is paramount to them is offering a platform for Muslims to merry and the cost of doing that is not an issue to them.
“Cost isn’t an issue to us as far as The Companion is concerned. The Eid-el-Fitr is the climax of the Ramadan fast (marking the end of activities of the holy month). So, after the Eid prayer, we have a funfair, more like a get-together or family reunion. You can see we have the old, the young, grandfathers, grandkids, all coming together.
“To us, cost is not an issue in prosecuting such a fine initiative. What is important is that sense of togetherness, sense of inclusion. That’s paramount to us at The Companion. The spirit of Ramadan is about giving back. So, we should have this platform to come together to interact, felicitate and have a good time together. It’s never about cost. The programme has been sustainable so far. Inshallah, we’ll continue to hold it,” he said.
Why it keeps on growing, Amirah
This year’s Eid-el-Fitr Fest witnessed an unprecedented number of participants. For the Amirah, The Criterion, Lagos District, Hajia Mariam Muse Saba, past participants are likely to have invited many more people and families to the well-attended event.
“People who attend the Eid Fest do really have a nice time. So, they are the ones who market us around, telling friends and family members. That will definitely attract more people and it must have accounted for the increase in population,” he noted.
Hajia Muse Saba told Muslim News that the Eid Fest was another opportunity for Muslim women to earn more rewards with Allah.
She said the activities of Ramadan for women are quite demanding, but when they are based on good intention, Allah makes them easier.
“For women, this is another opportunity for us to get additional rewards. It’s tedious for some of us, especially those of us who work Monday to Friday. But we want to receive that reward. We want Allah’s rahma. That’s what we are all yearning for. So, irrespective of how tedious it is, because of your good intention, Allah makes it easy. That’s why you see that we are not tired and still forging ahead,” she said.
The Lagos district head of the female organisation noted that the Eid Fest is also some sort of sadaqah (charitable cause), as people are contending with hunger.
“It’s so unique that one of the rallying points is that despite our personal commitments, we still prepared different meals. You bring your food, I bring mine and you can go around to share with anybody.
“We see it as an act of Ibaadah because there are so many people that are non-members of The Criterion and The Companion that are hungry and want food. There is hunger out there. So, it’s an opportunity for us to do sadaqah to give people food. Each family brought food which were shared with everybody. It’s also a platform for children of the community to come and enjoy themselves. It’s not a me-and-my-family affair; but about communal bond. This is what the Prophet teaches anyway. Let’s eat together, let’s feast together.”
She advised women to strive and use any opportunity they have to seek Allah’s rahma and rewards, adding that though the country is hard, they should make things easier for their husbands at home.
Muslim News presents beautiful faces that graced the event in the pictures below
