Let’s distribute Eidi of forgiveness

Psychological research shows that in the moments of mirth, one is more prone to shower generosity upon others. Eid offers us an opportunity to exhibit generosity and forgive others. The spirit of offering charity enjoins upon us to cut a pound of our flesh to help others. What else can be equated with cutting one’s pound of flesh more than forgiving others? Here, we cut the flesh of our ego.

The realisation of the enormity of pains and problems people are going through in this world of cut-throat, selfish pursuits can help us develop empathy for them. Empathy is the antidote to moral disengagement – justifying our harmful actions to avoid guilt – the thinking that stops one from forgiving others by playing the victimhood card.

Fasting demands from us the sacrifice of our selfish pursuits. If, on Eid, we nurture grudge and animus against any of our relationships, we can’t relish the bliss of Eid. If we embrace each other while nourishing the William Blake’s ‘poison tree’ in our hearts, that embrace is just a zombie embrace – lifeless and deleterious.

The spirit of the fasting and its celebration on Eid lies in conquering our own selves – our negative selves. These selves are not hard to identify. Whatever causes the suffocation of the soul or hinders us from doing something selflessly kind must be conquered then and there. After the conquest, the forgiver is engulfed in a stream of serenity. A light smile appears on the face of the victor of the self. To forgive is to kill our ego.

Many people get bored on Eid, whether they are alone or swamped with hosting and guesting. If you are fighting a fierce battle on your mental field between forgiving anyone and not, you can’t enjoy a single moment of Eid’s gaiety and euphoria. Walking in the throng of people, you couldn’t help facing your inner hollowness. Chances are you might get irritated with smiles all around, and a feeling of misanthropy might reside in your heart, making loneliness morbid.

We snub the thought of forgiving others for the fear of being snubbed by the other people. Let’s seek help from the Omnipotent at the Eid prayer: My Allah, I have decided to forgive others or ask forgiveness from others; please help me and ease the way; I do my part; the rest rests upon You. Bygones should always be let to be bygones if our objective is forgiveness. Only a forgiver can hope to be forgiven by the Forgiver. It’s a godly act to forgive anyone, particularly when they seek forgiveness. To be in a position to forgive others is a lofty status.

Let’s smile and let others smile on this Eid to build a better version of ourselves. Let’s make this miithi Eid genuinely sweet! We should play our role in increasing the joys of Eid before slicing out our pie of joys.

Some of us reminisce about the childhood joys amassed on Eid, but we must think about what joyful memories we are imprinting on the minds of our children who have inherited a world of hostility and hatred. Our children will be lonelier than we are if we don’t model ourselves on forgiving and asking forgiveness.

Let’s make a vow that on this Eid, we will forgive those against whom we have stonewalled ourselves. Eid is an opportunity to do something novel and new as we try our level best to wear everything new. Even we offer to the world a new face, a made-up face. Why not a new heart, my dear readers? A heart purged of all grudge. The panacea is forgiveness because forgiving others is actually forgiving ourselves, making us stronger and healthier.

Eid is a celebration consummated only by keeping relationships alive. Without keeping and mending relationships, the festival of Eid is just a day like other bland days that pass without creating any spiritual stir in us. Let’s pledge on this Eid that we will distribute the Eidi of forgiveness among ourselves to turn over a new leaf of peace and tranquility in our lives on this earthly planet, whose prerogative is the presence of human life.

“The best deed of a great man is to forgive and forget,” says Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS).