As I have already stated in my previous article, Eid 2022 was the best Eid of my life. After getting 3 hours of sleep after going to Chand Raat, I woke up at around 6:30 in the morning and I got ready to go to Eid prayers. Eid prayers are special because you get to thank Allah for getting you through Ramadan, you gain blessings by saying the Takbeer and you get to be with the Ummah starting Eid together. I went to Valentines Park for Eid this year for the first time, where Mufti Menk holds the Eid Salah.

What is Valentines Park?

Valentines Park is a park that is south of Gants Hill and is the largest green space in the London borough of Redbridge.

What are Eid Prayers?

For those who don’t know, Eid Salah celebrates and commemorates the end of Ramadan on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. They are usually two rakats of Eid prayer and involve saying a lot of Takbeer to thank Allah and gain blessings. They can be done at home or outside, and this year, I really wanted to do it outside with my Ummah.

What did I like about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park?

• Valentine Park is a beautiful park, with a pond, ducks, trees with flowers and of course, a large green space. It really reminded me of the beautiful world that Allah has put me in.
• I got to listen to and be part of the prayers held by the world-renowned Mufti Menk, an eloquent Muslim scholar who has inspired many Muslims. 
• The talk this year was about the 5 pillars of Islam, which was a simple topic, yet I remember feeling the deep sense of peace in my heart while listening as well as guilt for any mistakes/sins I have commited in the past.
• Praying together as an Ummah with the breeze rushing made me feel like Allah was blessing us, and with the soft sunlight pouring on us, it was even better.
• I accomplished something good right from the start of the day Alhamdulillah and I had the whole rest of the day to enjoy Eid.
• I then went to the funfair for a little while, where I saw my Chemistry teacher, got to see Mufti Menk and walked around with my sister to see the rides and food for a little while.

What did I dislike about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park?

• I really liked how different Muslims from different backgrounds came together on this day. There were hundreds of people, the old and the young, men, women and children, and the sick and healthy. There were Hijabis and non-Hijabis. As a non-Hijabi, I felt slightly scared and guilty of taking off my Hijab after the prayer but I realised that we are all ion our own journey of Islam, and we should not judge others, instead we should focus on ourselves.
• There were men and women both exiting the park, and I think they should have separated the male and female exits.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, yes and yes! I would highly recommend going to this park just for fun and also when Eid Salah happens, which normally happens every year! Even if you are non-Muslim, you are welcome to come and watch the Eid Salah and witness the peace that we Muslims feel while praying!

This was my short review or diary entry about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park in 2022. These are my opinions about this place. Make sure to check out my other articles. 

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

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Jabir ibn Abdullah reported:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would return on the day of Eid by using a different route from which he came.

We have finally come to the last Ramadan article of the year…In Sha Allah, we will live to see another Ramadan. But for today’s article, I wanted to write a very exciting article on how to prepare for Eid-ul-Fitr. As exciting as Eid may be, it does come with a lot of preparation and in order to make sure you can make the most out of the day, you should plan ahead. So today, I will be giving you a step-by-step guide on how I like to prepare for Eid which will hopefully help you guys out. I will also give you guys a rough overview of what to do on Eid and how to manage your time.

But before I start, remember that you should not spend too much time preparing for Eid because it is also the last ten days of Ramadan when you can gain blessings. Don’t fall into the traps of the devil by preparing too much instead of worshipping Allah. If you want to know more about this, check out my article:

http://surobiscribbles.com/how-to-maximise-your-rewards-for-laylatul-qadr-the-night-of-power-my-ramadan-series/

W H A T  T O D O B E F O R E  E I D

Buy your outfit, makeup and accessories

It is Sunnah to buy or wear your best clothes and go out to see your friends, family and relatives looking and smelling good. This will help you to feel excited for the day which will make you feel happy.

Decorate your house

You don’t have to splurge all your money on decorating but by adding a new vase of flowers or by giving a simple touch to your room can make you feel different and remember about Eid.

Plan on what you will do on Eid

Eid can sometimes become a bit hectic if you don’t plan ahead, so by knowing what time you will wake up or when people are coming to your house will help you to be prepared.

Prepare your gifts

Eid is a time of joy and expecting gifts from each other. It is good to prepare some gifts for everyone as seeing that smile on their face from receiving your gift is amazing in itself. For the children, you can also give an extra small bag of candy.

Invite others

Inviting others will help you to meet up with your old relatives and let them have some amazing food cooked by you or your parents. Send invitation cards, call or text your relatives to invite them to your house (remember to ask your parents first though).

Prepare the food

It is good to cook some dishes the night before Eid to make sure that you don’t get too busy cooking in the morning of Eid. Some prepare the sweet dish for breakfast the night before to wake up to a lovely breakfast.

Make sure to relax and don’t worry too much about how the day is going to go because you don’t want to stress out. It is a brilliant feast and time for breaking the routine for fasting.

T I P S  F O R T H E  D A Y O F E I D

• Don’t miss the Eid prayers. I know of many who miss the Eid prayers because they forget about all that they have done during Ramadan. Remember, Eid is not the time for you to stop all your good habits from Ramadan, it’s just the start. Then you can go home, wash up and dress in your new outfits.
• Give to charity. By giving Eidi to the younger ones and giving charity to the poor can make sure you are not forgetting about the power of charity even on Eid.
• Spend time with your family and relatives. This is what Eid is all about so enjoy it!

Those were my tips on how to prepare for Eid. Make this Eid the best Eid yet! And little disclaimer: Eid is not about showing off and forgetting your etiquettes of Ramadan, remember all the good that you have done in the past month. If this article helped you in any way, please share it with your family and friends so that In Sha Allah you get the reward too. If you enjoyed this article, check out my other articles too:

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!