Celebrating Eid-ul-Adha
When Ebrahim attempted to slaughter his only son, he was astonished to see that his son was unharmed and instead he found a ram, which was slaughtered,
According to Muslim faith, the valley of Mecca (in present day Saudi Arabia) was a dry, rocky and uninhabited place. God instructed Abraham (Ebrahim) to bring Hagar (Hajra) (wife) and Ishmael (Ismail) to Arabia from the land of Canaan.
As Ebrahim was preparing for his return journey back to Canaan, Hajra asked him:
“Did God order you to leave us here? Or are you leaving us here to die?”
Ebrahim did not even look back. He just nodded, afraid that he would be too sad and that he would disobey God.
Hajra said: “Then God will not waste us, you can go.”
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Though Ebrahim had left a large quantity of food and water with Hajra and Ismail, the supplies quickly ran out and within a few days, the two began to feel the pangs of hunger and dehydration.
Hajra ran up and down between two hills, al-Safa and Al-Mawah, seven times, in her desperate quest for water. Exhausted, she finally collapsed beside her baby Ismail and prayed to God for deliverance.
Miraculously, a spring of water gushed forth from the earth at the feet of baby Ismail. Other accounts have the angel Jibra’il striking the earth and causing the spring to flow in abundance.
With this secure water supply, known as the Zamzam Well, they were not only able to provide for their own needs, but were also able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies.
Years later Ebrahim was instructed by God to return to Canaan to build a place of worship adjacent to Hajra’s well (the Zamzam Well). Ebrahim and Ismail constructed a stone and mortar structure – known as the Kaaba – which was to be the gathering for all people who wished to strengthen their faith in God.
As the year’s passed, Ismail was blessed with nubuwwah (prophethood) and gave the nomads of the desert his message of submission to God. After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving desert city and a major centre for trade, thanks to its reliable water source, the Zamzam Well.
One of the main trials of Ebrahim’s life was to face the command of God to sacrifice his dearest possession, his son. Upon hearing this command, Ebrahim prepared to submit to the will of God.
During this preparation, Shaitan (the devil) tempted Ebrahim and his family by trying to dissuade them from carrying out God’s commandment and Ebrahim drove Satan away by throwing pebbles at him. In commemoration of their rejection of Satan, stones are thrown at symbolic pillars during the Stoning of the Devil during Hajj rites.
These are five days of pilgrimage, it is the fifth pillar of Islam. When Ebrahim attempted to slaughter his only son, he was astonished to see that his son was unharmed and instead he found a ram, which was slaughtered.
Ebrahim then passed the test by his willingness to carry out God’s command.From that day onwards, Muslims worldwide commemorate this festival by sacrificing an animal – either a sheep, goat, cow, bull, buffalo or camel.
The praise to the Lord is recited from the dawn of the ninth of Dhul Hijjah to the 13th and is recited as thus:
“Almighty is the greatest, Almighty is the greatest,
There is no God but Almighty
Almighty is the greatest, Almighty is the greatest
And to Almighty goes all praise.
The animal is then sacrificed with a sharpened knife and the throat is slit till it bleeds. The flesh is divided into three parts.
These three parts are then distributed, one part is given to relatives, friends and neighbours, the second part to the poor and needy and the third part is kept for themselves.
This year Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated on September 1 to September 3. May the Muslim community throughout the world be blessed through the mercy of God.
Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak to all.
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