Eid-al-Adha is a feast of the sacrifice commemorated yearly by 2 billion Muslims, on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, the twelfth and last month of the Islamic lunar calendar called Hijrah in Arabic. It is the festival of gaiety, sacrifice and reminiscence of Abraham’s devotion and sanctity to God.
According to the Quranic exegesis, chapter 37, verse 102 to 108, Abraham had a dream where God instructed him to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. “My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?” he asked Ishmael. He said, “Father, do as you are commended and God willing, you will find me steadfast.”
When they had both submitted to God, and he laid his son, God called out to him, “Abraham, you have fulfilled the dream. This is how we reward those who do good.” The narrative is similarly mentioned in the Jewish Torah and the Christian Old Testament.
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The feast of sacrifice is one of the essential traditions prophet Mohammed (peace upon him) inherited from Abraham and teaches his people to practice in the name of God. Moreover, Eid-al-Adha, the season of sacrifice is one of the greatest rite of Islam, in which Abraham, who was stated in the Qura’an more than any other prophet except for Moses. His obedience and kindness to his Lord. The sacrifice timeline spans three days: 11th, 12th and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah, each person having good intentions and an offering.
Another principle governing the feast of sacrifice is the obligation of each Islamic household. As long as he or she has the means, a person can appoint someone to offer a sacrifice of an animal on his behalf. Besides, it allows a person to sacrifice the animal to his deceased relatives, especially late parents.
The Sunnah indicates that one who intends to offer a sacrifice must refrain from taking anything, cutting his hair and clipping his nails from the first day of Dhul-Hijjah until he offers his animal. The philosophy behind this probation on shaving hair and cutting nails is the belief that the ones who are going to offer it are the same as those who travelled to pilgrimage for Hajj rituals.
The animals one can offer include a five-year camel, two-year-cow, one-year sheep or a one-year goat. Any animal less than these ages is unacceptable. The animals should be the best one can afford, healthy and not ones with defects like missing horn, a limp, one-eyed animal and obviously sick.
It is ethical to divide the meat into three; one-third of the meat to be eaten by the sacrificer’s family during the Eid holiday, one-third to be given as a gift and the remaining is to be given to the poor.
Eid-al-Adha is one of the two times of the year that every Muslim, no matter how poor, can expect to eat from Muslim community and non-Muslim. Such benevolence rekindles love, brotherhood, nationhood and peaceful coexistence among people of diverse backgrounds. The essence of Eid-al-Adha is important for Muslims to gather in the same prayer ground to show love, togetherness and spiritual devotion, despite their social status.
For the blessings endowed in this remarkable season of sacrifice and commitment, may God bless us with good leaders starring the affairs of Nigeria and its citizens into a sublime path of peace, coexistence, tolerance and dedication to the service of our country.
Barka Da Salah
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