Eid al-Fitr is a time that is closely associated with visiting and strengthening among family, neighbours, colleagues, and friends. The tradition of visiting during Eid is not only part of community's culture but also holds religious significance in Islam as it strengthens bonds of brotherhood. However, in Islam, visiting also involves proper etiquette during Eid so that the social visits bring blessings and do not cause discomfort to the host & the Muslim community.
Prophet Muhammad SAW (Peace Be Upon Him) said “Whoever wishes for his provision to be expanded and his lifespan to be extended should maintain family ties." This hadith indicates that maintaining good relations with our family and others has many virtues, including bringing blessings into one's life. (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
My family is happy to welcome our good long-time friends, Mr. & Mrs. Kong with their daughter to our home in Putrajaya for brunch in conjunction with Eid al-Fitr celebrations. My wife, Zarina & I have known the established & influential Kong's family since we decided to make Putrajaya our home in 2000. They've the historical roots being original inhabitants of Dengkil, the boundary town of Putrajaya. Mr. Kong's dad had lived for more than 100 years old.
Mr. Kong and family enjoyed the variety of traditional Malay dishes served during Eid al-Fitr, the nutrient-rich, and communal foods, featuring staples like Lemang (glutinous rice cooked in bamboo), Ketupat (rice boiled in woven palm leaves) eaten with savory Rendang (slow-cooked, spicy coconut meat and chicken dishes). These foods represent gratitude and celebration, with communal “hidang” style sharing together which strengthen community relations.
Our families' reciprocal visit during Chinese New Year and Eid al-Fitr is not merely a custom but also holds profound Malaysian spirit of togetherness and wisdom. The Kong's family visiting my family have strengthens our families bonds, reaffirmed understanding & reinforced brotherhood in the community.
Share your #RAYA2026 stories and stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM3,000!
Find out how to join here. Don’t miss out! T&Cs apply.
Zulkifly Baharom (hajizul50@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
