Significance of Eid-ul-Adha

        Eid-ul-Adha ,the Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the two holidays of Islam (the other is Eid-ul-Fitr). Eid, as described in 'Surah-e-Ma'ida', is a solemn festival for Muslims. On this day, Muslims sacrifice Halal animals in the name of Allah. Alone in Pakistan, over 10 million people perform 'Qurbani' (Sacrifice), which means US 2 billion dollars are spent. Muslims divide the meat in three parts, one for the poor and the needy, one for the relatives and friends and rest of it is kept by the family. It is on the 10th day of the month of 'Dhul-Hijjah'. It is celebrated right after the 'Hajj' 

Crescent- Pixabay

Why do Muslims celebrate it?

       Muslims celebrate the festival of Eid-ul-Adha as the remembrance of the prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)'s willingness to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (A.S) [who also became a prophet], to follow Allah's command. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) got his son after 80 years of patience. One night, he dreamed that he is sacrificing his son in the name of Allah. The next day, he told his son about his vision, his son replied calmly that as it is Allah's command, you will find me the most patient. When they got ready for the sacrifice, the Satan tried to prevent them from following Allah's command. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) threw pebbles at him, which is performed by the Hajis (pilgrims) to commemorate Hazrat Ibrahim's willingness, by throwing pebbles at the Satan.

  

       As they reached the mount Arafat, Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) blindfolded himself with the intention of slaughtering his son, but when he removed the blindfold, it was the sheep, he slaughtered and not his son. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) passed this ordeal and Allah made his Sunna'h compulsory for all the wealthy Muslims of all time and the generations next to come. It was a really an ordeal, sacrificing his long awaited son.

       This incident proved that slaughtering your sons or humans is prohibited, not even in the name of God.

Background of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)

     Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was the 10th great grandson of Hazrat Nooh (A.S). He was born in a false God worshiping family, from his childhood, his father used to make idols and would tell Hazrat ibrahim (A.S) to sell them, he didn't like the idea of worshiping immobile and always silent idols. When he grew up and reached prophet-hood, he, at first, preached his father about oneness of Allah in a polite articulation. His father became furious and told him to leave his house. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) got ready to leave his father's house. His father inquired where he was going to live. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) replied, "He will guide me as I am leaving you for Him". 

      Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) reached a place, after leaving his father's home, where people worshiped Sun, Moon and Stars. He was alone, no family, no friends but the support of Allah Almighty. He preached them the oneness of God, and said that the things, that cannot keep their existence, how can these thing be their God? The people were stubborn and didn't listen. Soon, a festival came, nobody was there to look after the place where the idols were kept. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) came in and cut every idol down excluding the massive one, and placed his ax over that idol. He got home, people were shocked to see their false Gods cut down, they knew Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) should have done it. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was brought in, and was inquired about the incident. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) declined all their allegations and said, " The massive one has the ax, ask him, can't he speak?". The people were stunned to hear the reply. 

     A man from the crowd addressed the crowd and said," Won't you help your Gods, he is the man who did this to our beloved Gods". All the people decided to take Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) to their regnant 'Namrood', the regnant thought himself to be the God of people. When Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was brought to him, he inquired who Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)'s God was and what he could do. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) replied that his God is Allah and He can give and take lives to whom He wants. Hearing this, Namrood give the death penalty to a person who was supposed to get free and freed the person who was supposed to be given a death penalty. After seeing this foolish act of Namrood, Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) said that Allah brings the Sun from east if Namrood was the God, bring the sun from the West. (Al-Baqrah). Namrood, overwhelmed by astonishment detained Hazrat Ibrahim(A.S) for seven years. He (Namrood) sent his two lions in the cell to kill Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S), and was stunned to see lions licking and prostrating him.

      Later on, he planned to burn Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) in fire, he (Namrood) and all his followers gathered flamables and woods for the fire. They dug a ditch and put all the flamables in it, Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S), the only worshiper of Allah, was brought to fire. Every creature on earth other than humans prayed for Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S). The fire was extreme. Any bird flying over the fire would get burned by the heat. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) was put in the fire for fifty days, and after the fire extinguished, Namrood was thinking, that's it, nobody left on earth to deny his deity, but he was astonished once again to see Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) coming out of the fire alive, with a man cleaning his sweat. Many people embraced Islam after seeing the incident. Namrood inquired who the man cleaning his sweat was. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) replied that he was the angel of shade. 

       Namrood once said to Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S), "I want to battle with your Allah, He might be the lord of heavens, but I am the lord of earth, If he brings the skies to the earth, my soldiers are strong enough to hold it up by their lances" Hazrat Ibrahim was soon revealed that if Namrood wants battle we will do it. Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) told Namrood about the battle, and he got ready. To fight this proud and stubborn unbeliever, Allah chose mosquitos to fight against the enemy of Allah. Mosquitos attacked them so hard that they fled and the scoundrel Namrood took refuge in one of his castle. One of the mosquitos also went in there with Allah's will and entered his nose, started eating the membrane of his brain, soon the scoundrel was badly in pain and enhanced the salaries of those who could hit his head hard. One of the hits was so severe that the enemy of Allah departed. 

        Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) married his cousin in Syria and his life went on. Allah gave him a son after a long time. Though, he has many sons after the ordeal, his two sons became the prophets, Hazrat Ismail (A.S) and Hazrat Is'haq (A.S). Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)'s nephew Hazrat Loot (A.S) also became a prophet. Our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W) was from the offspring of Hazrat Ismail (A.S).
 Hazrat Is'haaq (A.S) also was the ancestors of many prophets including Hazrat Ya'qoob (A.S) and Hazrat Yousaf (A.S).
                         
                                     Talha Zubair Asim