Selamat Hari Raya or Happy Eid-ul Fitr to all Muslims all over the world!

May Allah bless you on this auspicious day of Eid, and May it be a new beginning of greater prosperity, success and happiness.

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CS, a friend of mine, also a blogger, wants to know about Hari Raya and I am honoured to explain about it here.

Hari Raya is a Malay words for Eid Mubarak  (in Arabic) and Celebration Day (in English). Eid Mubarak is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha (Aidil Fitri and Aidil Adha in Malay).

In Malaysia, Eid ul-Fitr is more commonly known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Idul Fitri or Hari Raya Puasa.

Besides the common Selamat Hari Raya greeting, Malaysians also wish one another Maaf Zahir dan Batin which means Forgive my physical and emotional (wrongdoings). This is because Hari Raya is not only for celebrations but a time for atonement: to ask for forgiveness for sins which they may have committed but was cleansed as a result of the fasting in the Muslim month of Ramadan.

Hari Raya Aidil Fitri is the biggest holiday in Malaysia and treated as the smaller Eid compares to Hari Raya Aidil Adha, the greater Eid or better known as The Festival od Sacrifice.