Preparations for Hari Raya

Assalamu'alaikum visitors! 

Ramadhan's ending and I can only pray that we will meet it again next year and that we have benefited it adequately. 

Speaking of the near farewell to Ramadhan, lots of articles out there are telling on how we should decorate our house, bake our cookies, etc to prepare for hari raya ('eid). However, I have yet to see articles (yes maybe there are some out there) telling us how to prepare our Imaan and servitude for Allah SWT for this celebration. Altho I'm not particularly excited for eid, I do think it's ideal to prepare for it. 

So one of the common problems muslims face in eid is the greeting sessions where you shake hands among yourselves. It's disappointing to see people abandoning the rules of Allah on how we should not touch certain people, no matter how comfortable you are around them. Allah has spoken on this matter in the Holy Quran (24:31).

To all my brothers and sisters, here are the lists of people you are ALLOWED to touch and thus shake hands with. 

Muslimin:

1. Among men themselves
2. Mothers (and above - grandmothers, great grandmothers, etc) 
3. Your wives' mothers
4. Wives
5. Daughters (Step daughters included but NOT fosters) 
6. Sisters (in-laws NOT included) 
7. Aunts, grandaunts (and above) by blood ONLY (pls do remember that aunts and greataunts by marriage are NOT included) 
8. Your siblings' daughters (the daughters from your wives' siblings are NOT included)
9. Women and children with no sexual desires

Muslimah:

1. Among women themselves 
2. Fathers (and above - grandfathers, etc)
3. Your husbands' fathers
4. Husbands
5. Sons (Step sons included but NOT fosters)
6. Brothers (in-laws NOT included)
7. Uncles, granduncles (and above) by blood ONLY (pls do remember that uncles and granduncles by marriage are NOT included) 
8. Your siblings' sons (the sons from your husbands' siblings are NOT included) 
9. Men and children with no sexual desires

Those are the only people that you CAN touch skin-to-skin. Other than them, pls refrain from touching them unless in danger.

Do not be afraid to hurt their feelings, for it is Allah that you have to please. Which would you rather do? Anger Allah SWT and face the consequences in the hereafter, or hurt your relatives for the sake of Allah? Besides, if you reject a handshake for the sake of Allah (ofcourse please do it politely by putting your hands on your chests and giving a slight bow), if He wills, he will protect you from any harm (including hurting His other servants). So please, do not hesitate and do not be afraid to reject handshakes. Furthermore, accepting handshakes from people you're not supposed to will - not only earn you a sin - but the persons you are shaking hands with are also sinning. So if you love your relatives and yourself, protect them and yourself from doing what Allah SWT hates. 

Another heartbreaking problems would be the Aurat. It is ofcourse easier for men to cover theirs as their aurat only consists of areas between their belly buttons to their knees. However, it is difficult for them (most of them, atleast) to refrain from looking at women's aurat. 

Now for women, many are confused or simply ignorant on which area our aurat actually is. So let me get this thing clear. 

It is actually really simple. We, women, MUST cover our ENTIRE BODY except for our FACE and our PALMS (both back and front). 

Now what does that mean? It means, NO YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EXPOSE YOUR

1. ARMS (so please wear some handsocks if your sleeves aren't long enuf, or you just want to be safe in case the sleeves roll up involuntarily)
2. NECKS (so please make sure your hijab or shawl's not exposing your necks. Pin them together if you have to) 
3. CHESTS as in breasts (so please refrain from wearing hijab or shawls that are too short) 
4. FEET (so please wear some socks ok. It does not matter if you're wearing high heels and you're afraid you'll slip. Give up heels, not socks. 

Also, you need to cover the shape of your body too, okay? So pls don't make your clothes too tight. And don't make em translucent as well, okay? Please? 

As for make-up, I'm sure you are all aware of this (SO PLS DO NOT NEGLECT IT), you cannot by any means wear excessive make-up. You may wear it if your husbands allow you too and for the unmarried ones, your purpose of wearing make-up MUST NOT be to beautify yourselves for attention and praises. But ofcourse you can only wear it in minority.

And perfume for women. Just please use it enough to eliminate body odour. Okay? It ain't that hard not to use it too much. 

And the most important thing regarding aurat is PROTECT YOUR SIGHT (lower it okay, if people think you're rude, apologize and explain why you're doing so) no matter if you're a man or a woman. So please, let us practice these rules for it is for our own safety that Allah had issued them.

And then there are the prayers. This is THE most essential preparation for eid. I know that you're going to be walking alot, driving alot, eating alot, talking alot and other alots in the world but there is no excuse, ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for not performing the five prayers (unless ofcourse you have 'uzur syar'ie).

Bring your toothbrushes, extra underwears, telkongs and other necessities for prayers so DO NOT MAKE UP EXCUSES FOR NOT PERFORMING THEM.

"The guests just kept coming and I just can't get away to perform solat." 

Bring them, invite them to pray together. If they refuse, then you go ahead yourself. You live to please Allah SWT so do not disobey Him to please others. 

"It's hard to ablute in someone else's house." Ridiculous! Ask to go to the toilet. Ask them where to pray. Ask them, just ask. If they don't have any of the sort, well...impossible. What house wouldn't have toilets. 

"It's too burdensome, carrying telkong." Wearing telkong is not compulsory. If you are obeying Allah SWT's order on covering your aurat completely, you can just pray in those attires without wearing any telkong. Islam is easy, don't say it burdens you because of your laziness. 

"I'm too sweaty to pray." Please be reminded that sweat is not najis (something that prevents your prayer from being accepted). Although it is abit dirty so it's preferable if you take a shower or change your clothes BUT if that's too burdensome, you can just dry it out and ablute (wudhuk) then pray. By all means, do not leave your prayers just becos you're sweaty. 

"My clothes are dirty." 

If they are dirty because of a baby's pee (the baby has to be eating ONLY pure milk without sugar nor flour nor anything else), you can just sprinkle around that area. 

If they are dirty because of sth other than the above pee, dogs and pigs, wash the area until the colour, taste and smell of the dirt is there. If it's difficult to do so, you may just wash it (not sprinkle, wash)

In the end, it is your choice after all to do or not to do what Allah SWT had ordered us to do. They are easy to do, in shaa Allah, if you obey it for the sake of Allah. 

But remember, those who are performing 5 prayers regularly, covering their aurat, minding their chastity, etc are not guaranteed Jannah. What of those who neglect them? Subhanallah brothers & sisters, pls, before it's too late. 

Anyhow, I pray that all of you have become a better person throughout this holy month of Ramadhan and don't forget to istiqomah for the sake of Allah SWT. 

Wallahu A'lam. 

***** I know it seems like there are too many restrictions. But as I said, if you really seek Allah's pleasure, you won't see it as rules. You would see it as Allah's ways of making you safe. (now I won't indulge on how prayers and taking care of your chastity would achieve that or else it'll carry on and on and on until 1234567890 sentences) 

However, noting it briefly, praying fills in your time (so rather than you wasting time doing sth that's prolly gonna harm you like clubbing or sth, you pray) and mind you, I think lots of ppl know there are numerous advantages - spiritually & scientific - of praying. And taking care of your chastity? Well say goodbye to perverts & rapists. 

And lastly, I apologize if there are mistakes or shortcomings in this post. 

All the correct information are from Allah SWT and the wrong ones are from me. So may all of you benefit from the true ones. 

Until next time, Assalamu'alaikum.