Understanding the “Essence of Eid-ul-Adha”

During the annual Hajj in Mecca, Muslims all over the globe commemorate the trials and triumphs of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham PBUH). However, the misinformed people carry on with unwanted practices such as attempting to purchase the most expensive sacrificial animals in competition with others just to show off followed by unjust distribution of meat among the recipients.

Greed and sacrifice can’t go together: The misinformed or the most ignorant ones among the Muslim community tend to be materialistic enough to keep the best portion (goat thighs) for self or giving it away to the IN LAWS of daughters in many instances. The Muslims should know: "It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him." (Qur'an 22:37)

Muslims keep debating when to celebrate. ‘Different groups different answers’ is the ongoing attitude mainly responsible for the “Muslims’ disunity. Ridiculously, a huge divide among 1.7 billion Muslims is a laughing matter for “the non-Muslim world against Muslims.”

In fact, the regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which start at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. Since, the Islamic calendar is lunar and the days start at the sunset, so there is usually one-day error depending on when the New Moon is first seen.

According to the Fiqh Council of North America, Eid ul-Adha will be celebrated on October the 4th (based on astronomical calculations).Some Canadian Muslims follow Fiqh Council, while some follow Saudi Arabia. Others who stress upon local moon sighting are likely to celebrate on Sunday, the 5th Oct. India and Pakistan are celebrating on 6th Oct.

Like others, for the Canadian Muslims, Eid-ul-Adha is an annual Islamic observance of immense significance. It is also known as the feast of sacrifice or festival of sacrifice as it commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his only son to Allah the Almighty.

Furthermore, Eid is celebrated by the Muslims throughout Canada around the 10th to the 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja). It is a time marked by special prayers and many Muslims gather together for special prayers. Many Muslims also visit family and friends, exchange greetings and gifts, and make donations to the poor and the needy generously.

No doubt, Eid-ul-Adha offers the best opportunity for forgiveness and compassion.

Performing the Hajj applies to all physically and financially able Muslims worldwide at least once in lifetime. Some Muslims from Canada have gone for performing Hajj.

The Qur'an further describes Prophet Ibrahim as follows:

"Surely Abrahim was an example, obedient to Allah, 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." (Qur'an 16:120-121)

Indeed, one of Abrahim's main trials was to face the command of Allah to sacrifice his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allah's will. When he was all prepared to do it, Allah revealed to him that his "sacrifice" had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for Allah superseded all others, as he was sincerely prepared to lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God. This symbolizes obedience to Allah. And, the fair distribution of meat of the sacrifice to others is an expression of generosity; it’s one of the essential pillars of Islam. 

In short, Eid ul Adha reminds us of Prophet Ibrahim’s readiness to obey God right after having envisioned that he was to sacrifice his only son.

Although, Eid-al-Adha is not a nationwide public holiday in Canada, yet the devout Muslims take time off from work in order to perform sacrifice after Eid prayer in the AM hours. The symbolism is in the “attitude of willingness” to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the righteous path.

Lesson/ message here is each one of us makes small sacrifices, giving up things that are fun or important to us. And a true Muslim is the one who submits completely to the will of Allah the Almighty and remains willing to follow His commands completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity in faith, and willingness in obedience that Allah wants from us.

During the Hajj, Muslims refresh memories of the trials and triumphs of Prophet Abraham. The Qur'an describes Abraham as follows: An-Nahl (The Bee) 16:120 -- "Verily, Abraham was a man who combined within himself all virtues, devoutly obeying God's will, turning away from all that is false, and not being of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God." Hence, the tradition of symbolic sacrifice began.

The non believers need to know: During the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham's trials by sacrificing an animal such as a sheep, camel, or a goat. As this action is very often misunderstood by the non believers, it’s our obligation to fully explain the essence of sacrifice.

Importantly, after the slaughter of the sacrificial animal, all meat of sacrifice must be mixed up to be distributed in three ways; self, relatives and the poor. It is a symbolic act of sharing with people who are malnourished and are below poverty line.

Indeed, Allah loves our purity in faith and our unconditional obedience of HIM. 

What Does Eid ul Fitr Teach Us?

The end of Ramadan is followed by the month of Shawaal which gives the gift of Eid ul Fitr to the Muslims. Having attained the wealth of Taqwa and spiritual correctness during the daily dawn to dusk “Fasting Work Out” of Ramadan, many practising Muslims fortunately manage to be successful in becoming self disciplined. The positive change makes them feel at peace; immediately next thing for them happens to be the most exciting festivity of Eid-ul-Fitr.  In other words, upon successful completion of the month of Ramadan, the Eid day, in fact is a ‘Thanksgiving Day’ for having gone through a tough exercise towards “self-purification.” Allah o Akber.
The noble Qur’an has clearly expressed the act of Fasting as a blessing and not a calamity: “Allah desires ease for you, not your discomfort. He desires you to fast the entire month, and that you may magnify Him for giving you His guidance, and that you may give thanks.” (Al-Baqarah 2:185).
Among other essential elements is paying Zakat (wealth tax) and Fitra to minimize the harsh impact of any prevailing misfortune, hunger or widespread poverty. Therefore, when it comes to this religious obligation, the Muslims are duty bound to help out the needy people before the Eid Prayer.

Charity: The Muslims are required to pay Zakat based on their wealth and financial ability. It consists of spending 2.5% of one’s wealth for the benefit of the needy people. The good thing is paying Zakat is considered to be the personal responsibility of all Muslims to eliminate inequality and ease economic hardship of others for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa taalaa.

Charity in the form of fitra (fitrana) is obligatory at the end of the Fasting month before the Eid prayer. This again means the real happiness of “EID” lies in sharing our happiness with “the have nots.” 
Furthermore, while meditating and prostrating in congregation to God Almighty, the Muslim Ummah actually displays its real spirit of brotherhood and equality. So, on this happy occasion, we should always remember those who are afflicted with poverty, ignorance, disease, or are otherwise less fortunate.
The other beauty is Muslims on this very day are encouraged to erase their grudges or differences if any with others that might have occurred during the year.
Eid day schedule: After offering the regular Salat ul Fajr (the pre-sunrise prayer), the Muslims head out shortly after the sun-rise to perform the obligatory prayer  in congregation (slaat ul Eid) in open areas, community centres, or at masajid in some cases.
However, the important thing is Eid prayer is followed by special Khutba (Sermon) and supplication asking for God's forgiveness, mercy, peace and blessings for all living beings across the world. The Imam delivers khutba explaining to the Muslims about performing rituals of Eid, such as the compulsory Zakat or Sadaqat ul Fitr. It’s extremely important to listen to the obligatory Eid Khutba as well.
The Muslims are encouraged to stay away from worldly desires; they are advised to focus entirely on pleasing and thanking Allah for His merciful blessings. Indeed, it is a rejuvenation of the Deen of Islam, which creates stronger bonds between the Muslim person and his/her Lord.
Right after the Khutba is over, Muslims hug each other wishing Eid Mubarak, and then they visit their relatives and friends.
Also, The Eid gifts, known as Eidie, are frequently given on this precious occasion to children and immediate relatives. Children receive gifts in cash or kind; sweets and tasty dishes are served throughout the day.

Altogether, the caring Muslims donate money generously; they contribute to their local food banks for the less fortunate.
Beyond doubt, Eid is an opportunity for Muslims of different ethnic or cultural background to share together for prayers and celebrations.

Usually, the Canadian Muslims take time off from work to join prayers held in big-city mosques or Islamic centres, convention centres or sport grounds. 
In the larger cities of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa, congregational prayers may be offered at multiple times to accommodate the large number of worshipers.
In many Canadian communities, Muslim organizations and mosques also hold large Eid parties that are open to the entire Muslim community. Smaller Muslim communities, particularly in the rural areas, hold other communal gatherings in masajid or rented community halls.
Some groups reserve other activity centres for the full day of fun and celebration, while others may hold public Eid parties in mosques as a means of OUTREACH to the non-Muslim society.
After the Eid prayer, Muslims usually make long distance phone calls to greet dear ones.
The festival is aimed at promoting peace, strengthening the feeling of brotherhood and enabling the Muslims to move on with their lives normally as a refined Umma in the eyes of our Creator. Hence, the Eid and its celebration in Islam carry a distinctive meaning and spirit as they are totally different from the celebrations in non Muslim communities.

It’s commonly seen that holiday for non Muslims is a chance to indulge in worldly pleasures, or involve oneself sinfully or immorally and unlawfully. But for Muslims, there is zero tolerance in the eyes of Allah subhanahu wa talaa for committing forbidden acts.
 
In nutshell, the `EID’ is an occasion to increasingly go for good deeds only. The 'EID' doesn’t give an automatic ticket to take a vacation from Islamic responsibilities, and no wasting of time and money is permitted either, simply because our obedience and submission to the will of Allah cannot be compromised under any circumstance.

Furthermore, the ‘EID’ is a chance to multiply good deeds by bringing happiness and pleasure to the hearts of other Muslims, by devoting for the sake of Allah SWT.
Most importantly, it’s the spirit of thanksgiving that make the Muslim Umma stronger all over the globe for the accomplishment of an act of dedication and submission to the total will of Allah, the Almighty.

Ramadan, Excellent Source for Taqwa & Overall Health

Canadian Muslims are excited, as the blessed month of Ramadan has already begun to give them another golden chance for self-evaluation and spiritual growth. Ramadan is also called Ramzan or Ramadhan and is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which consists of 354 days in 12 months cycle. The month is spent in the hot pursuit of Taqwa by the devout Muslims all around the world for 29 or 30 days every year depending on various factoral limitations.

On the (lunar) Islamic calendar, Ramadan is always on the same date; however, the date on the (solar) Gregorian calendar varies from year to year. The month moves in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days annually. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, and the days begin at sunset, so there is a slight chance of one-day in counting error depending on when the new moon is first sighted.

Fasting during the month is one of the five pillars of Islam and is known to be month of reflection and complete submission to Allah SWT (God Almighty). The majority of the Muslim Ummah agrees that fasting in the month is an essential part of fundamental Islamic obligations.

The beginning and ending of the month may vary from country to country depending on the moon sighting.

Islamically, fasting (sawm) is abstaining or refraining from certain things for a specified period of time. For example: While fasting, a Muslim is required to abstain from sexual intercourse, food and drinks of all kinds right from dawn to sunset time preceded by the intention (Niyyah).

But one must remember that sins under no circumstance are justifiable regardless of fasting or not.

Dawn to dusk fasting starts before Fajar (Sunrise) and ends at Maghreb (Sunset) when “Iftar” (breaking fast) is mandatory. Almost all masaajid (mosques) host daily Iftar during Ramadan where Muslims can break their fast and eat together.

Exemption: The young children, the sick and the elderly are exempted from fasting.

Realising the pain of starvation: The Ramadhan fasting enables the Muslims to broaden their compassion for “the Hungry” and “the less fortunate.”  That is why; the Muslims tend to generously donate to charity.  It’s pleasing to know that hyper-participation in food drives for the poor during the month is quite usual, as Muslims are motivated to give out for the needy and hungry for the entire year.

And in Masaajid, the Qur'an is recited by the Imam during congregational taravi prayers every night throughout the blessed month.

Essence of fasting during Ramadan and its goal is summed up in the Qur'an just in one word: “Taqwa”-"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may attain Taqwa." (Qur'an 2:183).  Taqwa is both an attitude and a process. In fact, the proper attitude of the Muslims toward Allah SWT denotes nothing but love, devotion, and fear.
This clearly indicates that Ramadan-fasting like other religious practices in Islam is one of the best sources available to generate moral excellence to appropriately handle the daily routine matters including social interaction. Beyond doubt, one can achieve the best moral values and can easily become a role model for others provided there is no hypocrisy or double standards.

If we are sincere towards Allah SWT, fasting in Ramadan helps us to develop our moral discipline, which also reminds us of the plight of those have-nots who suffer from constant hunger and deprivation.
With all said, it boils down to the fact that “Fasting” is not simply a time during which people deprive themselves from physical pleasures, but it’s also an important occasion to practise moral self restraint for attaining the spiritual growth.

Indeed, the sense of spiritual fulfillment through a state of “TAQWA” becomes attainable with month long “Fasting Work-Out” during the blessed month, because the first verses of the holy Quran were actually revealed to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Ramadhan.  

And, “Laaelatul-Qadr” is remembered as being the anniversary of that actual day, when the Quran was actually presented to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Furthermore, the “Laaelatul-Qadr” is known as the “Night of Power” which usually falls on any odd dated night within the last 10 days of Ramadan.

As sawm in Arabic means “Refrain,” so Ramadan provides the best opportunity to learn that there is a lot more than just the ‘disallowed eating or drinking’ between the Sunrise and the Sunset.

Fortunately, the blessed month empowers the Muslims to be brave enough to restrain themselves from devilish or sinful activity including backbiting, gossiping, looking immorally at forbidden things and using obscene words.

Thus, taking part in the mandatory practice of Ramadan fasting through offering the prayers on time, eating and drinking as prescribed makes the Muslims well disciplined and Muttaqee (God fearing).

Among the health benefits of Ramadhan fasting, is the relaxation period for stomach, digestive system, refining system, heart, circulatory system, the kidneys and the list goes on and on.

As claimed by medical scientists and doctors, Islamic Fast is also a kind of psychological treatment, because it provides spiritual enhancement and strengthens the feeling of being free from physical limitations and habits and addictions.

Since the blessed month make Muslims feel morally re-conditioned and rebooted, they must maintain the momentum of carrying out their self-check up through increased religious dedication 24/7 during the entire remainder of the year till next Ramadan.

As self-discipline, patience and spirituality are the great fruits of fasting work out, surely, Ramadan helps grow the remembrance of Allah SWT leading to another renewal of solid commitment to the noble values that God Almighty has revealed to the Muslims and the entire Humankind, of course.

Nevertheless, without sincere effort, benefits derived from fasting are short lived.

In fact, Islamic Fast, which plays an important role in the treatment of some diseases, can be very effective if it is practiced according to the Sunna of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Conclusion is Islamic fasting during Ramadan or otherwise definitely helps in ridding our bodies of stored poisons, including addictive substances, and we feel enabled to adjust our craving and upgrade our tolerance level.

Most of all, one’s mind becomes purely clean and clear of all lustful thoughts after attaining Taqwa.

Sacrifice

Eid al-Adha is one of the two most important Islamic festivals. It begins on the 10th day of Dhu'l-Hijja which fell on Friday the 26th of October this year. Dhul hijja is the last month of the Islamic calendar. It occurs at the conclusion of the annual Hajj to Mecca and lasts for three days.

The festival commemorates Prophet Abraham's willingness to obey God Almighty as he dreamt that he was to sacrifice his son Ismael on God’s orders.
The great Prophet of Islam  Hazrat Ibrahim (known as Abraham)  Peace Be Upon Him -  was commanded by God to sacrifice his older son. He obeyed and took Ishmael (Ismail) to Mount Moriah.
When Prophet Ibrahim  was  getting closer to sacrifice his son Ismael (PBUH), an angel appeared suddenly and stopped him by giving him a ram instead for sacrificing.  The great prophet passed Allah’s test as he actually went ahead with sacrificing his dear son just to seek Allah’s pleasure.

Muslims observe this day by slaughtering an animal and then distributing much of its meat in charity to poor and hungry people.

Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the descent of the Hajj from the mount Arafat a hill east of Mecca and lasts until sunset of the 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.
Eid sacrifice takes place until sunset on the 13th day.  The days of Eid have been singled out in hadith as "days of remembrance". The days of Tashriq are from the Fajr of the 9th of Dhul Hijjah up to the Asr of the 13th of Dhul Hijjah (5 days and 4 nights).

In the period around Eid al-Adha, many Muslims travel to Mecca and the surrounding area in Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj which is mandatory for all capable Muslims once in lifetime.

Muslims may plan and save for many years to enable them to take part in this event, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Almighty Allah says in Chapter 22 Verse 37 of the noble Quran:"Nor their flesh, nor their blood, reaches Allah, but to Him is acceptable observance of duty on your part."As Almighty Allah loves sacrifice, we should forget about our personal greed in order to spread justice for the benefit of humanity, because Allah's pleasure can be sought through sacrifice indeed.

Manipulating "Eruption of Muslim Reaction"

As against the previous figure of 1.6 billion Muslims, the religion of Islam now has 2.1 billion followers. (religiouspopulation.com), and remains the fastest growing religion through conversions and births. But, the anti Islamic factors including the mischief, jealousy, enmity and grudge tend to keep building up simultaneously as well.

As usual, the politically motivated scenarios are employed, while freedom of speech works as an effective tool to design and fabricate a set of perfect-fit lies. Intriguingly, the movie - “Innocence of Muslims” has been produced under the pretext of freedom of speech. There might be hidden double standards depending on who the beneficiary really is.

Full of intolerable mockery and insults of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the disputed film has scripts of PG scenes that offer express or implied meaning aimed at misleading the non Muslims and disturbing the Muslims at the same time. The devilish video circulating on the internet under several titles - portrays the beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with contempt.

In short, the controversial movie presents “Islam” as cancer. The Muslims are deeply offended as this amounts to direct insults to their faith.

Certainly, the ongoing drama has successfully resulted in stirring the International unrest in more than twenty countries. The suspect is a Californian resident is believed to be ( Egyptian Coptic Christian), who enjoys freedom of speech.

Surprisingly, Egypt's Prosecutor General has issued arrest warrants for seven Egyptian Coptic Christians and a Florida-based American pastor and referred them to trial on charges linked to the anti-Islam film which has sparked riots across the Muslim world. (Los Angeles Times). The prosecutor's office says the seven men and one woman, all of whom are believed to be outside of Egypt, are charged with harming national unity, insulting and publicly attacking Islam and spreading false information punishable by the Death Penalty.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is believed to be behind the film and is among those charged, so is Florida-based Pastor Terry Jones, who was allegedly contacted by the filmmaker to promote the video.

The names of the others listed in the warrants were not immediately available.

A controversial Coptic cleric (known as Islam's top enemy) defends the disputed film. Furthermore, the preacher, Zakaria Botros Henein, owns a home in Huntington Beach, and his teachings influenced the Southern California men behind the anti-Islamic movie, according to Times reports. He is known for similar insults (as in the current film) to Prophet Muhammad. Henein has not been linked to "Innocence of Muslims," but the three disparate figures who have emerged as key forces behind the movie are all devotees of his views.

On the contrary, the mainstream Coptic leaders have denounced the film. For many Muslims, any depiction of the prophet is blasphemous. The caricatures deemed insulting in the past have provoked protests and drawn condemnations from officials, preachers, ordinary Muslims and many Christians. Similarly, the Muslim community strongly condemns acts of violence against the fellow Americans and the Westerners.

The US business interests and properties across the Middle East and North Africa, Australia, England, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Pakistan and many other countries have been targeted which is painful too.

Unfortunately, the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi killed the U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others who died when gunmen attacked the consulate and a safe house refuge in the eastern city.

Beyond doubt, the anti-Islam film is an act of grave provocation, nevertheless, the Muslim world including Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority have denounced the attacks on diplomats and embassies across the Middle East and declared such violence as un-Islamic.

 Great advice: The Saudi Grand Mufti called upon the international community to take all necessary steps to criminalize any act of abusing the great Prophets and Messengers such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them). And, the Muslims should never ever shed the blood of innocent people, nor should they vandalize properties or public institutions. He further reiterated that the hatred of Islam through such movies would not harm the great personality of the Prophet (PBUH) or any aspect of Islam but would only backfire on the people who spread venomous ideas. In fact, the enemies of Islam achieve their goals, when Muslims are extremely enraged in resorting to acts of violence causing severe damage to the image of Islam. Such irrational acts of the furious Muslims only please the enemies of Islam.

The devoted Muslims not only are upset on the killings of many thousands of Muslims during the armed adventures in the Muslim lands, but they also condemn any revengeful killing of the innocent non-Muslims.
The vulnerable embassy officials in the Muslim countries are on high alert. Anti-American violence has created another scenario for Mr. Obama who feels really challenged politically in wake of gearing up for the upcoming November election.

Yet, it remains highly intolerable as a handful of anti-Islamic hate-mongers in the West are getting away with insulting the most sacred symbols of Muslims under the pretext of free speech and the U.S. authorities are not investigating the film project itself. Even if it was inflammatory and did cause violence, simply producing the video cannot be considered a crime as the U.S. ironically has strong free speech laws.

Most importantly, while condemning the killings of four Americans in Libya, let’s condemn the killings of more than 100,000 innocent civilian lives (mostly Muslims) in Iraq and tens of thousands in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

For concrete results:

International community (the UN) must step forward to help the Muslim world by crushing the hate mongering against Islam. It’s about time to bring in some kind of forceful and viable enactment to strictly deal with the ongoing blasphemy  against Islam.  

Adhering to the principles of interfaith dialogue is a MUST for global peace and love.