Celebrating Eid-ul-Azha in its true spirit
Monday, 8 December 2008
THE Eid-ul-Azha will be observed throughout the country tomorrow (Tuesday) with the spirit of sacrifice and piety that are the central message of this occasion. This second greatest religious festival of the Muslims commemorates a momentous event. Prophet Ibrahim (sm) had demonstrated the great spirit of sacrifice on this occasion on the 10th of Jhu-L-Hijjah of the Islamic lunar calendar by submitting himself to the will of Allah, and proving his readiness to sacrifice his dearest son Ismail in His name. So, the Almighty Allah, the creator of the Universe, was pleased with Hazrat Ibrahim for his devotion to Him and hence ordered him to sacrifice a lamb instead. It is this great spirit of sacrifice to the cause of faith that is observed throughout the Muslim world on this day.
In Bangladesh, too, Muslims, who have the ability, will observe the day by slaughtering sacrificial animals in the name of Allah, the Greatest, after saying their prayer to Him in congregation. Part of the meat of the animal thus sacrificed will be shared among the faithful who would offer the animal for sacrifice, and the rest will be given to charity according to the dictates of Islam. The ritualistic part of the religious occasion is seen faithfully observed by the Muslims with due fervour. But questions are often raised if the exact spirit of the occasion is being maintained by those who buy the animals with the display of their wealth and power. But it is not really the size, the number or the cost of the animals slaughtered that count in the whole exercise of the ritual. For if the true spirit of the occasion is found lacking, then it becomes just a mere festival without soul. This is a pertinent question in a country where a large portion of the population finds it hard to afford two square meals a day. And those who have the financial ability to offer big and costly animals for sacrifice have also to observe other dictates of Islam that go with the ritual. Had the day been observed in the true spirit of sacrifice by the rich of the country, then poverty among the population would not have remained at its present level. And in that case, this nation could, to a good measure, be able reduce its dependency on external aid to fight poverty.
In fact, the message of this great religious occasion, the Eid-ul-Azha, has also to be appreciated, in conjunction its social significance, apart from its religious importance. Buyond this occasion, it is to be noted here that the practice of 'zakat', or giving a certain percentage of a person's annual earning to charity, particularly on the occasion of another religious festival -- the Eid-ul-Fitre -- that comes after the month of 'Ramadan' (fasting), has been made one of the five pillars of faith in Islam, precisely for this social reason. And, of course, such income on which 'zakat' is applicable must also be earned through honest means. Therefore, neither the zakat, nor the sacrificing of animals or Qurbani is, according to the teachings of Islam, acceptable to the Almighty if the earning is not honest.
Therefore, it is up to the religious leaders of the country to see that the fundamental edicts of Islam are being observed in their true spirit. This is especially important on an occasion like the Eid-ul-Azha when the animals for 'Qurbani' or sacrifice are offered by those Muslims who have, the 'means' to do this. The government, too, can enlighten itself from the advice provided by the religious leaders of the country in this respect. Meanwhile, the local government bodies like the city corporations and the municipal authorities have a responsibility to see that the faithful might slaughter their animals at designated places so that the rotting blood and the remains of the animals strewn in the open may not mar the sanctity of the occasion. Furthermore, the authorities concerned do also have the added responsibility to see that the animal skins which have great economic worth as exportable items, are collected systematically and preserved properly for their onward processing in the tanneries.
In Bangladesh, too, Muslims, who have the ability, will observe the day by slaughtering sacrificial animals in the name of Allah, the Greatest, after saying their prayer to Him in congregation. Part of the meat of the animal thus sacrificed will be shared among the faithful who would offer the animal for sacrifice, and the rest will be given to charity according to the dictates of Islam. The ritualistic part of the religious occasion is seen faithfully observed by the Muslims with due fervour. But questions are often raised if the exact spirit of the occasion is being maintained by those who buy the animals with the display of their wealth and power. But it is not really the size, the number or the cost of the animals slaughtered that count in the whole exercise of the ritual. For if the true spirit of the occasion is found lacking, then it becomes just a mere festival without soul. This is a pertinent question in a country where a large portion of the population finds it hard to afford two square meals a day. And those who have the financial ability to offer big and costly animals for sacrifice have also to observe other dictates of Islam that go with the ritual. Had the day been observed in the true spirit of sacrifice by the rich of the country, then poverty among the population would not have remained at its present level. And in that case, this nation could, to a good measure, be able reduce its dependency on external aid to fight poverty.
In fact, the message of this great religious occasion, the Eid-ul-Azha, has also to be appreciated, in conjunction its social significance, apart from its religious importance. Buyond this occasion, it is to be noted here that the practice of 'zakat', or giving a certain percentage of a person's annual earning to charity, particularly on the occasion of another religious festival -- the Eid-ul-Fitre -- that comes after the month of 'Ramadan' (fasting), has been made one of the five pillars of faith in Islam, precisely for this social reason. And, of course, such income on which 'zakat' is applicable must also be earned through honest means. Therefore, neither the zakat, nor the sacrificing of animals or Qurbani is, according to the teachings of Islam, acceptable to the Almighty if the earning is not honest.
Therefore, it is up to the religious leaders of the country to see that the fundamental edicts of Islam are being observed in their true spirit. This is especially important on an occasion like the Eid-ul-Azha when the animals for 'Qurbani' or sacrifice are offered by those Muslims who have, the 'means' to do this. The government, too, can enlighten itself from the advice provided by the religious leaders of the country in this respect. Meanwhile, the local government bodies like the city corporations and the municipal authorities have a responsibility to see that the faithful might slaughter their animals at designated places so that the rotting blood and the remains of the animals strewn in the open may not mar the sanctity of the occasion. Furthermore, the authorities concerned do also have the added responsibility to see that the animal skins which have great economic worth as exportable items, are collected systematically and preserved properly for their onward processing in the tanneries.