Eid-ul-Adha commences on the 10th day of Zilhaj. It begins with an extra early morning prayer performed in congregation, called the Eid prayer. Eid-ul-Adha is the symbolic reenactment and the following in the footsteps of Prophets Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS), as well as, the struggles and sacrifices of Hajira (AS), Ismail’s mother. Almighty Allah says, “Surely Ibrahim was an example, obedient to God, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous.” (Quran 16:120-121) The Ibrahamic Quranic narrative represents the essence of God’s love for the human being. What we can see in Ibrahim (AS) and Hagar’s narrative is God’s protection toward His righteous servants, patience with the human being in the struggle to uphold the truth, constant guidance, and eventual spiritual attainment despite the monumental temporal challenges. Eid is symbolic of the believer’s journey toward God to admit wrong, take responsibility, and seek forgiveness and then to return into the world a new, unburdened by the heaviness of past transgressions and the state of forgetfulness. God loves those who return to Him and those who are in constant remembrance. Likewise, God calls on the human being to repent and seek forgiveness because He is the all-merciful and oft-forgiving, which means transgression is the human condition in need of a remedy by a return to God in a state of humility. The Eid of the Sacrifice is correctly named to reflect Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail’s readiness to totally submit to the will of God. However, another aspect and just as significant is God’s intervention to rescue Ismail (AS) and by extension and symbolically all of the human beings.
Unity with diversity and readiness to sacrifice for a higher purpose is the meaning of Eid for the Muslim Ummah and today is the time to actualize it in intention and deeds and it is a time of celebration, a time to visit family and friends and thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. It demands contact with relatives, kindness to family and neighbors, and empathy and compassion for the poor. Above all Eid ul Adha reminds us that God is great and that He is the source of all bounties. Through the good times and the trying times God is the source of all comfort and all peace, and submission to Him brings the greatest benefits of all.
Eid for the Muslim Ummah represents the abode of Divine love, mercy, and belief of His intervention to guide and protect those who embody steadfastness, struggle, sacrifice, and service to others in their journey in the world. What the Eid means for the Muslim Ummah is a deep realization that God is present with us at all times and in all circumstances. Eid is to announce and declare in joyous voice across the globe that God is here with the human being ready to embrace and welcome those who repent, struggle, sacrifice, serve, and love for no other reason than to reflect Divine purpose. Arriving at Hajj in unity, reflected in the mode of dress, and actions in unison, despite diversity, is the critical lesson for the Muslim Ummah and Eid is the right occasion for actualizing this in daily life. Unity with diversity and readiness to sacrifice for a higher purpose is the meaning of Eid for the Muslim Ummah and today is the time to actualize it in intention and deeds and it is a time of celebration, a time to visit family and friends and thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. It demands contact with relatives, kindness to family and neighbors, and empathy and compassion for the poor. Above all Eid ul Adha reminds us that God is great and that He is the source of all bounties. Through the good times and the trying times God is the source of all comfort and all peace, and submission to Him brings the greatest benefits of all.
