Nadb al-Eid
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- Nadb al-Eid
Nadb al-Eid (Arabic: ندب العيد, lit. 'Lamenting the Eid') is a contemporary analytical treatise by the Saudi scholar Ibrahim bin Abdullah al-Mudayhish that examines why people across different generations lament the perceived loss of the joy of Eid, exploring the legal, psychological, and social dimensions of celebration in Islam.
Background and Composition
The material for the work originated as a discussion piece written in Dhu al-Hijjah 1432 AH on the author's private family forum (Muntada Usrat al-Mudayhish). The author subsequently revised, rearranged, and expanded the text into a standalone research essay, publishing its first general digital edition in Dhu al-Hijjah 1438 AH from Riyadh.
The title employs the Arabic term nadb (mourning or lamenting the deceased by weeping and enumerating their virtues) to characterize the recurring habit of older generations eulogizing past celebrations while bemoaning the present.
Content and Themes
The Concept and Rulings of Joy in Islam
The treatise opens by framing the two annual Islamic festivals—Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha—as occasions instituted following significant acts of worship (fasting and the pilgrimage). Joy (farah) is classified into two types:
- Praiseworthy joy: Rejoicing in religious obedience, beneficial knowledge, lawful provisions, and divine grace, as grounded in the Quranic verse: قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ("Say, In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy—in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate" [Yunus: 58]).
- Blameworthy joy: Rejoicing in transgression, falsehood, and arrogance, as exemplified by Quranic warnings regarding Qarun and past nations.
The author argues that outwardly displaying joy and happiness on Eid is an established symbol of the religion (sha'a'ir al-din). He supports this through the hadith of Aisha regarding the young girls singing the day of Bu'ath and the Abyssinians practicing with spears in the Prophet's presence, citing classical legal commentary by Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, al-Nawawi, and Muhammad bin Isma'il al-San'ani.
Addressing Eid greetings, the author reviews a linguistic study by Faisal al-Mansur on the phrase Kull 'am wa antum bi-khayr ("May you be well every year"), but argues that the formula transmitted from the Prophet's Companions—Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum ("May Allah accept from us and from you")—is superior because it combines greeting with supplication.
Analysis of the Generational Lament
The treatise demonstrates that the feeling that "Eid has lost its spirit" is not unique to contemporary times. The author documents similar laments across previous generations of 20th-century Arab literary figures and scholars, including:
- Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i in Wahy al-Qalam
- Muhammad al-Bashir al-Ibrahimi in his published works (Athar)
- Ahmad Hasan al-Zayyat in articles from Majallat al-Risalah (collected in Wahy al-Risalah)
- Abu Turab al-Zahiri in al-Mawzun wa-al-Makhzun
- Ali al-Tantawi in Min Hadith al-Nafs and Suwar wa-Khawatir
The author attributes this phenomenon to the psychological contrast between childhood and adulthood: children experience unburdened, pure joy from modest gifts, whereas adults carry heavy psychological, familial, and financial responsibilities that impede their ability to enter into festive delight.
He also critiques modern lifestyle factors that exacerbate this detachment:
- The substitution of direct interpersonal contact with impersonal digital mass-messaging on social media platforms such as WhatsApp.
- Physical estrangement and social formality during the year turning annual family gatherings into cold, strained obligations, contrasting this with closer-knit village communities.
- Material abundance throughout the year reducing the distinct novelty of special holiday food, clothing, and gifts.
Societal and Spiritual Foundations of Happiness
The treatise engages with Ahmad Amin's essay Fann al-Surur ("The Art of Joy") from Fayd al-Khatir, which analyzed disparities in happiness between Eastern and Western societies. The author critiques Amin's historical assumptions regarding warfare and endurance, asserting that inner tranquility depends fundamentally on the spiritual state of the heart and remembrance of God rather than external conditions, quoting passages from Ibn al-Qayyim's Madarij al-Salikin and citing the prophetic hadith regarding the beneficial effects of the dawn prayer (Fajr).
The work concludes by emphasizing that Eid celebration must adhere to Islamic ethics—fulfilling kinship ties, giving charity, and avoiding prohibited actions such as intoxication, unlawful mixing, and neglecting prayer—citing a fatwa by Ibn Taymiyyah against frequenting gatherings where openly prohibited acts take place merely for entertainment.
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