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`Eid
Al-Adha is one of the great days in Islam. It is a day of
celebration for Muslims all over the world. Allah has bestowed
upon us two festive days in the year, which we celebrate with joy,
meals, and sharing the happiness with the underprivileged. Those
days are `Eid Al-Fitr and `Eid Al-Adha. Hence, Muslims are not
allowed to fast on both days. We celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr upon the
completion of Ramadan, a whole month of fasting. We then celebrate
`Eid Al-Adha for having successfully performed the great journey
of Hajj, followed by sacrifice (udhiyah).
Today,
we see people racing and rushing to be successful in all their
endeavors, be it in their career, business, social life, or
others. These are their personal wishes and desires. While in
pursuit of such desires, let us not forget the very purpose of our
creation, that is, to be true servants of Allah: [I
have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me]
(Adh-Dhariyat 51:56).
For
us to be His true servants, we certainly need to prove our
commitment, through our sacrifices and efforts that reflect our
true obedience to Allah. All acts of worship contain this very
message. Through these acts of worship we will be able to train
ourselves to give our full commitment to Allah the Almighty, Lord
of the Worlds. One of the acts of worship that is considered to be
a huge sacrifice and jihad, or great struggle, is Hajj.
The
Hajj rituals performed by Muslims annually have a lot of
significance and are full of lessons. Hajj teaches us the
importance of sacrifice, which qualifies us to get the great
blessings and rewards from Allah. It is not easy to get Allah’s
pleasure and forgiveness. To get them, we need to sacrifice, and
we also need a high level of commitment. The reward for an
accepted Hajj or Hajj mabrur is forgiveness for all sins, a
state which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) likened
to that of a newborn baby, pure and clean. To get such rewards, we
need to put forward our sacrifices; we need patience and a high
level of commitment. Such rewards are invaluable; they cannot be
bought with money or wealth.
There
will definitely be trials and tribulations while performing Hajj.
Hence, to be duly rewarded, one must have patience and strong
determination while performing the rituals. We see millions of
devotees gathering in one big place, donning the same clothing,
regardless of their social status, rich and poor, and coming from
different races and backgrounds. Undoubtedly, under such
conditions, there will be profound trials and challenges. Those
who can overcome these challenges develop within themselves a
strong spirit of sacrifice, a spirit that will shape their
personalities and bring goodness to all those around them.
What
are the values of sacrifice that we can learn from Hajj? Before we
answer this question, let us reflect on the story of Prophet
Ibrahim and how he was willing to sacrifice his child Isma`il
(peace and blessings be upon them):
[Then
when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he
said: “O my son; I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice.
Now say what is thy view.” (The son) said: “O my father; do as
thou art commanded; thou will find me, if Allah so wills, one of
the steadfast.” So when they had both submitted their wills (to
Allah), and he flung him down upon his face (for sacrifice), We
called out to him, “O Ibrahim; thou hast already fulfilled the
vision; thus indeed do We reward those who do right.]
(As-Saffat 37:102-106)
That
was the huge sacrifice of both Prophet Ibrahim and his son
Isma`il. Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his own beloved
son, just for Allah the Almighty. Likewise, Prophet Isma`il
submitted to the order of Allah, to gain His pleasure.
Let
us look closer into the values that both Prophet Ibrahim and
Prophet Isma`il have shown through this particular incident.
First, both prophets had strong faith in Allah, and they were full
of confidence in doing what they were instructed to by Him.
Second, both showed patience in carrying out the command. As
Muslims striving to improve ourselves and move towards a community
of excellence, we need to have such willingness to sacrifice.
The
important value in sacrifice is faith and confidence in the
stipulations of Allah. A true servant will accept the provisions
that Allah has decided for him. He continuously obeys Allah and
carries out His orders, and refrains from all that has been
forbidden. He truly believes that Islam is the religion chosen by
Allah and with which He is pleased. Hence, he ensures that the
teachings of Islam are duly respected, and he works towards
gaining knowledge and doing all that is good. Then, and only then,
he can taste the sweetness of his faith, as mentioned in the
hadith reported by Muslim that one will taste the sweetness of his
faith when he truly accepts Allah as his Lord, Islam as his
religion, and Muhammad as his prophet.
Here
lies the strength of a true believer that enables him to strive
and sacrifice. A responsible father will sacrifice to feed his
family and to provide for their different needs. He does all that
to please Allah. With the grace of Allah, his sincere efforts will
help to form a true Muslim family, which will be a source of
strength for the whole Muslim community. Likewise, a truly
faithful mother will nurture and educate her children on the
teachings of Islam, praying always to Allah that her children will
grow up to be an asset to the religion, community, and country.
Looking after the family and children is a type of sacrifice, and
this sacrifice is much more meaningful when done for the sole
purpose of getting Allah’s pleasure.
Another
important attribute that we need while performing sacrifices in
our lives is patience. We can see how Prophet Isma`il responded to
the call from his father, Prophet Ibrahim, to perform the
sacrifice. He responded with honorable patience and absolute
calmness: [(The
son) said: “O my father; do as thou art commanded; thou
will find me, if Allah so wills, one of the steadfast”]
(As-Safat 37:102).
As
true believers, we must have patience in all that we do. Patience
has no limits. All the trials and tribulations that we come across
in our lives are but an opportunity for us to be forgiven by
Allah. The reward for patience is really great.
Abu
Sa`id and Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said the
following:
No
fatigue, nor disease, nor anxiety, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor
distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives
from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
And
Allah mentions in Surat Az-Zumar that [The
patient will be truly rewarded without measure]
(Az-Zumar 39:10).
*
Based on a Friday Sermon, February 1, 2004/Dhul-Hijjah 10, 1424.
Courtesy of the Islamic Religious Council of
Singapore
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