Eid Planning Ideas for Single Muslims

By Amina Salau

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

A lot of single Muslims will be spending Eid alone this year, especially as it falls during school term for students. Whether you are a student away from home or an employed and unmarried person who works away from family, you do not have to spend your Eid day in bed, eating takeout and checking social media for updates on everyone’s Eid activities. You can use one of the ideas below and have some halal fun.

Organize an Eid party

Many people celebrating Eid alone don’t see the need for going all out to plan a party, since it’s going to be just them. But it doesn’t have to be. You can plan a party together with your Muslim friends, or if you are a student, with people from the Muslim societies in your school. It doesn’t have to be anything huge like a family party, but something to make the day feel like Eid for you and the people around you.

If you can, invite non-Muslims, so that they can have a firsthand experience of Eid and learn more about Islam.

Organize Eid celebrations for the less privileged

If the thought of planning a party or lack of friends discourages the above, why don’t you suggest that your community mosque organize an Eid celebration for the less privileged in the society? A lot people will not be celebrating Eid in the real sense, maybe because they cannot afford to or they are homeless, etc.

You can volunteer to help these people have a memorable Eid and, Allah willing, earn rewards from Allah (swt).

Volunteer for a good cause

Away from party planning, the theme of Eid al-Adha is that of worship and sacrifice. We may not be able to intend a sacrifice the way Prophet Ibraheem (as) intended in his time, but we can make this day a day of sacrifice in service to others, for the sake of Allah (swt).

If you are fortunate to get a day off from school or work, there are a lot of ways to spend those hours in service to fellow Muslims. Make a visit to the sick in the hospital, join a team to organize the sharing of qurbani (Eid sacrifice/meat) to the needy, or volunteer for any available and suitable Islamic charity organization.

Reconnect with the Qur’an

Aishah (rah) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sa) said: “There is no day on which Allah sets free more slaves from hell than He does on the Day of ‘Arafah.” (Muslim) While the pilgrims are at Arafah the day before Eid, spend your time reciting the Qur’an, doing dhikr, and making dua (supplications), so that you can benefit from the blessings of the Day of Arafah.

Engage in some da‘wah

Other activities may have you interacting and spending some time with other Muslims, but if you are dedicated to spreading the light of Islam, it is worthy to use this period to educate the non-Muslim society about the message of Islam. There will be a lot of media coverage in the days leading up to Eid, especially because of Hajj and Muslims’ love for shopping before Eid. A lot of media outlets will welcome well-written articles giving an insight into several aspects of Islam. You can even launch your own “know Islam better” project where you chose a topic, for instance salah (prayers), and use your favorite social media channels to educate people more about it.

Amina Salau is a freelance writer who is passionate about women’s issues in Islam.