Like previous years, this year’s Eid ul-Adha will also be celebrated with zeal and fervour. But many do not understand the real purpose of this tradition; the ethos behind this is not just confined to sacrificing animals, it demands more than that. To replicate what was done by Hazarat Ibrahim A.S, it is obligatory for those Muslims who are well off, to buy an animal for sacrifice. The point of the sacrificed animals is to become closer to Allah. He had given a son to Hazarat Ibrahim A.S at an old age and when Hazarat Ibrahim A.S had started loving his son desperately, an instruction was descended in a dream to him that Allah Almighty desired that he sacrifice his most loved son. He mentioned his dream to his son who obediently not only got ready for materialization of the dream but also bravely requested that his father tie him tightly at the time of slaughtering and lay him down and put a bandage on his eyes so that he could not shiver at the time of slaughtering. Such an example is not found in the history of the universe. In the Quran, it is also stated that it was really a tough test in which both father and son succeeded. The angels on the sky started crying upon seeing what was going to happen but the most kind Allah had decided something else and, at the eleventh hour just before slaughtering, Allah had sent a sheep and the angel put that sheep in the place of Hazarat Ismail A.S and when Hazarat Ibrahim A.S went to slaughter his son with full force (it is said that an apostle possessed power of equal to 40 men), he saw that his son was perfectly alright while a sheep was slaughtered.
Just imagine what would have happened if Muslims now were put through such a task. But Allah Almighty wants to see how obedient a believer is, and He does so with these tests. The sole purpose of sacrificing animals is to seek the favour of Allah Almighty and sacrifice grudges, backbiting, lies, bad deeds, corruption, dishonesty, teasing human beings, disconnecting with siblings, relatives and friends on trivial matters and other such bad deeds. Unfortunately, the act of sacrificing animals itself causes great inconvenience to the public. There are usually no proper places where animals are kept and as a result, such animals are kept in the streets which become a hassle for those passing by as the streets are sometimes closed. The streets also become untidy and unhygienic. The first three days of Eid ul-Adha present horridly unhygienic conditions. It is the prime responsibility of the government to reserve some places in every area where residents could keep and sacrifice their animals so that it would not cause issues for anyone.
So, the message of Eid ul-Adha is to sacrifice not only animals but to sacrifice all bad deeds and avoid any ill. Let’s intend to celebrate Eid ul-Adha this year safely, and in the way that it is supposed to be.
FAISAL ANSAR,
Karachi.