YESTERDAY, Sunday 6th November 2011, was Eid'el-Kabir {Greater Eid}, the grander of the two Muslim festivals.The other being Eid el-Fitri which caps the fasting month of Ramadan. Alternatively called Eid-el-Adha or The Feast of Sacrifice Eid-el-Kabir comes up approximately 70 days after the end of Ramadan. The build up to Eid-el-Kabir usually begins on the day preceding it; the day of Arafat when Muslims performing the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia gather at the plains of Mount Arafat in prayer and supplication. Although the date of Eid el-Kabir varies from year to year on the Gregorian calendar which is a solar calendar, it is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar { 10th of Dhul-Hijja} which is lunar and shorter that the other. The difference in the number of days account for the shift of Eid-el-Kabir in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. The festival is a commemoration of the trials and triumph of Prophet Ibrahim, the great patriarch of the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. About this father of faith, Allah testified that "Surely Ibrahim was an example, obedient to Us, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous." (Qur'an 16:120-121). In the holy books of the three religions, we were told that Ibrahim faced many trials and tribulations in spite of his righteousness. One of those tribulations was that he was childless until he was advanced in age. The Quranic version of his story said that even when his prayer for a progeny was eventually answered in the birth of Ismail, he saw a vision that he should sacrifice the child to Allah. It was said that Ibrahim was 99 years old at that time and his son, 13. A man of weak belief would refuse to carry out the vision he had under such a circumstance. But not so Ibrahim. The wish of Allah was his command and he set out to do as he was ordered. He did so however in consultation with Ismail, a lesson to modern day secular and religious leaders on the necessity for dialogue and consensus building in all that they do. When both father and son had shown their perfect obedience to Allah and they had demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice their most precious possessions for His sake ' Ibrahim by laying down his son for sacrifice and Ismail by lying patiently under the knife ' Allah showed them that he was not a blood thirsty Being. He told Ibrahim that he had passed the test imposed upon him by his willingness to carry out God's command and gave a ram as a ransom for Ismail. Relating the trials and triumph of Ibrahim from the time his prayer for a son was answered, The Quran recollected that:'We gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old enough to walk and work with him, (Ibrahim) said: O my dear son, I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now, what is your view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah wills, you will find me one practising patience and steadfastness!" So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, We called out to him saying: O Ibrahim! You have indeed fulfilled the vision; surely thus do We reward those who do good. Most surely this was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice {a ram}. And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations. "Peace and salutation to Ibrahim!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. Surely he was one of Our believing servants.'{Q.3: 101-111} This glorious event was what was commemorated yesterday by Muslims across the world. During the festivity which continues till tomorrow, Muslims adults who can afford it, on return from prayer ground, offered sacrifice of rams to Allah. One third of the animal so slaughtered is for the immediate family and relatives, one third given out to friends and neighbors and the rest donated to the poor. This is meant to teach the Muslim the merit of sharing part of his bounties with others in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. More important, however, according to The Qur'an, is the fact that Allah is in no need of the flesh and blood of animal slaughtered during the Eid or at any time by man. What He demands is piety on the part of the faithful. As chpater22 verse 37 of The Qur'an puts it, "It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him." Since Eid-el-Kabir is closely associated with hajj, it is also necessary to remind Muslims and mankind in general of the admonition of Prophet Muhammed {S.A.W.} during his last sermon at Arafat on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah, the 10th year after hijra { 632 After Christ } that : 'All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.' Thus what Allah expects of believers as they celebrate Eid-el- Kabir and at all time is to tread the part of righteousness in the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim. The merit of the festival is in their willingness to make sacrifices in their lives in order to stay on the straight path. It is this strength of heart, purity in faith, and willing obedience to God and His commands that Allah demands from Muslims and all other believers so that we shall all triumph over our challenges as Ibrahim did. From the Nigerian Compass, we say Eid Mubarak. Have a blessed celebration!
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