Significance Of Eid-Ul-Adha 

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EID-UL-ADHA 

Eid-ul-Adha stands out as the most important ritual on the Islamic calendar that brings muslims around the world together to answer to an intuitive spiritual call of nature - sacrifice, which is required to project the virtues of selflessness and equality, and to bring the giver and the receiver to share in the bounties of Allah. The festival is celebrated by a historical re-enactment in fulfillment of an order from Allah to Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his only son then, Ishmael, not as an expiation to correct a wrong, but to test the faiths of the patriarch and his son.  The eventual sacrifice of a ram in place of the humble and obedient Ishmael was to reward the duo for their unflinching faith in Allah. The essence of Eid-ul Adha is not limited to the "stewings and frying" that accompany the ritual but the determination in resisting the devilish inclinations that seemed to trap Abraham's execution of the order to sacrifice his son. His insistence in standing tall to his conviction to uphold the dictates of Allah, is the essence of Eid-ul-Adha.  As muslims attending Hajj throw stones at Mina, at the exact spot where Prophet Abraham was called to duty, it is important for not only muslims, but all, to metaphorically throw stones in every endeavour that seeks to project the individuals and Prophet Abraham worldly interest above the divine interest. It is against this backdrop that on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, the Holy Prophet Muhammed encourages the distribution of two thirds or more of one's offering to the poor and the needy, loved ones and neighbours. This is to keep in tune with the mighty sacrifice of the patriarch who was willing to give out his only son on the commandment of Allah. 

The celebration of Ei-ul-Adha does not only call for a candid and sober reflection of Sura Takathur and other chapters of the Quran which posit sacrifice as the pinnacle of faith but calls for deeper - evaluation of our short-sighted alliances to worldly goals and affections which dilute our appetite to sacrifice. It calls for a change in stingy behaviour and the greedy grab all menace which blinds mankind to forget that the world we desperately cling to with the strongest breath of our might, is after all, a sport, a past time and a temporary enjoyment of delusive things. It is a shame that often most muslims restrict the significance of Eid-ul-Adha to the mere sharing of food and meat without taking cognizance of the spiritual and purgative elements of the ritual which are expected to serve as a guide, a tonic and frame to peaceful co-existence and the uniformity of mankind. It is regrettable that such an occasion has been reduced by some muslims to exotic lifestyles with brass band music, indiscriminate hooting of horns and other anti-social vices, thereby dwarfing the pristine character of Eid-ul-Adha. The patriarch and his son, Ishmael who single-handedly built the only house of worship then, the Kaaba must be sad in their resting abode to witness such acts of depravity.

It is important for Imams and muslim scholars to educate such deviants to the tenets of the Abrahamic sacrifice and to devote the day to a massive outreach for all to realise the need to expunge selfish orientations and inclinations. This is the only avenue to sustain the sanctity of E-d-ul-Adha and the sacrifice of its willful adherents. As muslims worldwide celebrate the day, it is incumbent on them to shelve petty squabbles and differences and endeavour to accommodate all grades and shades of opinion in line with the beauty and true teachings of Islam. The resort to needless violence under the guise of propagating Islam has no place in a religion that ascribes to the belief that anyone who kills one person has killed the whole of mankind. Ei-ul-Adha should be another viable avenue for proving to the world, not only the beauty and universality of Islam, but also its numerous virtues that seek to make the world a better place. To all muslims and our brothers and sisters of other faiths, Eid- Mubarak. Enjoy the blessings of Eid.

BY IBRAHIM KWARTENG, A JOURNALIST.