A:"EID MUBARAAAAAK!"
B:"Khair Mubaraaak! Eid Mubarak to you toooo!"
A:"Where did you pray the Eid Salah?"
B:"I prayed at Faisal Mosque, at 8:30 am!"
A:"Wah! What a beautiful Bakra! Its meat will be very tasty! Don't forget to send me some!"
B:"The meat better be good! I bought it for Rs. 30,000!"
A:"Man! Now a days Bakras are too expensive! Where did you buy it from?"
Blah, blah, blah...
Doesn't the above conversation sound familiar? Isn't this all we talk about at Eid?
Not even a single thing about Allah or the spirit behind the sacrifice!
Are the Price, the size and looks of the animal and Meat all that we do the Sacrifice for?
Whereas Allah says:
"It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches God: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify God for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right."
(Al-Hajj 22:36-37)
I just realized this problem this Eid, even in me, and a very dear brother corrected me very politely and started talking about the essence of sacrificing and what it should remind us of!
First lets see how Allah azzawajal narrates the incident!
"So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allâh), so look what you think!" He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Inshâ' Allâh (if Allâh will), you shall find me of As-Sâbirun (the patient)." Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allâh), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering); And We called out to him: "O Abraham! You have fulfilled the dream!" Verily! thus do We reward the Muhsinûn. Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. کبش - a ram); And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among the later generations. Salâmun (peace) be upon Ibrâhim (Abraham)!" Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinûn. Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves."
(As-Saffaat 37:101-110)
As we can see, Allah again and again reminds us of the tests Prophet Ibrahim (as) was put to, and he kept on succeeding in each and everyone of them to the point that he (as) was even willing to sacrifice his beloved son in order to please Allah! SubhanAllah!
This is what this ritual should remind us of and make us realize the reality of this life, and also that of the Hereafter! This ritual should increase us in Taqwa of Allah and give us the strength of Emaan to sacrifice the rest of our desires that take us away from Allah.
So our small talks this Eid, inshaAllah, should not be on the meat or how much we bough the animal for! Because that doesn't matter the least bit in the eyes of Allah, what matters is the Taqwa with which we do the sacrifice, if any! So we should take this opportunity to remind each other the essence of this sacrifice and revive the Sunnah of Ibrahim (as) in its true spirit!
Allah is the All-Knower. All good is from Allah and mistakes are from myself.
