The essence of Eid-ul-Azha

The Muslim Ummah performs the rituals of Eid-ul-Azha after the end of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The Qurbani or Eid-ul-Azha bears the evidence of great sacrifice. It commemorates the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) who as was commanded by the Almighty Allah decided to sacrifice his dearest son, Hazrat Ismail (AS) thousands years ago.

The Devil tempted Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to disobey the command of the Almighty to spare his son but he did not deviate from his firm determination. Neither the Iblis had any scope to mislead Hazrat Ismail (AS). The holy Quran states, ‘He (Ismail) said, “O my father! Do as you are commanded. If Allah wills, you shall find me of the patient (Qur’an, 37:102)”. With the consent of Hazrat Ismail (AS), the prophet Ibrahim (AS) arranged everything only to please Allah. When he was about to sacrifice Ismail (AS), Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb instead to sacrifice. This is an example of deep obedience of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to Allah.

Since the time of Prophet Mohammad(SM), the Muslims have sacrificed animals on Eid-ul-Azha to honour the spirit of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). In Islam it is mandatory for the Muslims to slaughter animals who afford after the prayer of Eid-ul-Azha. But one thing is very important to know that Allah does not want the animal or its meat. The Almighty Allah is pleased to see the devotion of the Muslims to Him. Eid-ul-Azha gives a clear message of piety, charity as well as equality. The holy Quran states, “Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you (22:37)”.

The significance of Qurbani is much more than the slaughtering of an animal and the distribution of its meat, rather it is more than a commemorative ritual. Through Qurbani we affirm our complete submission to Allah and want to be rewarded by the Almighty Who has promised to give us. Again, it is a great opportunity to purify the wealth of those who make a sacrifice to please Allah.

But more often we forget the essence of Eid-ul-Azha. Actually, it is not about displaying the most expensive and magnificent sacrifice. Neither it is about purchasing animal for mere enjoyment or storing meat and cooking delicious for meals on the day. Truly, it is all about obedience to Allah and showing equity to the humanity. The true happiness lies in distributing the meat of the sacrificed animals among the poor and the distressed people. It is also a practice to kill the beast which exists in us and purify our soul with the true essence of Eid-ul-Azha.

The slaughtering of animals in the remembrance of this holy event has been a very misunderstood concept around the world outside the faith of Islam. Allah has given us power and has permitted us to eat meat, but only in if we slaughter them in the name of Allah. Muslims slaughter the animals in the same way throughout the year. By calling the name of Allah in the time of slaughter reminds us that the life that we are taking is sacred. The meat from the sacrifice is mostly given away to others. Normally one-third of the meat from sacrifice is eaten by the immediate family members and relatives, one third is usually kept for friends and the rest is donated to the poor. Some people have been known to donate a lot of money to the poor in the name of Allah to earn Allah’s blessings. The act also portrays a clear example in which we just give up things that are dear to us in the way of Allah just to follow his command. This act also promotes brotherhood in the Muslim society. This act also refreshes our faith in Allah and we recognise that all the blessings come from Allah Alone.

It is very important to understand that sacrifice offered by the Muslims on the day of Eid has nothing to do with washing ourselves from sins. This is basically a misunderstanding created by those of previous generations. The stance of Allah is very clear, and it is said in the Book of Quran. This depicts that Allah has nothing to do with the meat and blood of animals that we sacrifice on the day of Eid.

However, Eid festivities have ebbed to a great extent among the believers. For almost two years the Muslims have been celebrating their Eid festivities with many restrictions. Happiness, socialisation and spontaneity of Eid are hardly found during the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Enduring the new variants of coronavirus, spikes in infections and deaths, depleting savings, job losses have caused huge frustration and sufferings in people. The inflationary pressures have added to the woes of the common people.

Bangladesh is celebrating this year’s festival of Eid-ul-Azha also amid one of the longest floods in over two decades ravaging the country. Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) has forecast another moderate flood in the country’s northern districts after Eid-ul-Azha.

According to the forecast, the flood situation in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur and Bagura will improve in the last week of this month. The river water will be close to the danger level during this time. But the rivers, in the first week of July, will flow over the danger level again, which may cause a moderate flood situation. The U.N. Children’s Fund is warning that millions of children are at high risk from devastating floods in Bangladesh are in urgent need of lifesaving assistance. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands left stranded as whole villages have been washed away in the worst flooding to hit Bangladesh in a century. The developing country is frequently impacted by storms and flooding as seen with the recent fatal flooding in the north-east of the country.

However, amid all struggles it is time to realise the true essence of Eid-ul-Azha and extend our helping hands to the distressed. The affluent people should stand by the poor and victims of natural disasters to ensure the equity, enlightened with the spirit of Eid-ul-Azha. Let our sacrifice on the holy day be the symbol of support for the humanity. Eid Mubarak to all.

The writer teaches at Prime University. He can be contacted at malaulalam@gmail.com