Inculcating the spirit of Eid-ul-Azha

FE Team | Published: May 25, 2026 20:05:06

Called the festival of sacrifice, Eid-ul-Azha is one of the two great festivals of Islamic tenet. It commemorates the total obeisance of Prophet Ibrahim to the Almighty Allah through his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail. In fact, it was the supreme test a father is put to and both Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail passed it successfully. It was a recurring dream in which Prophet Ibrahim was commanded by Allah to sacrifice his beloved son. When Prophet Ibrahim told his son about the dream, the son had no hesitation to cooperate for the intended sacrifice. God was pleased to see the readiness of both father and son and right at the moment Hazrat Ibrahim was about to slit his son's throat, there was a divine intervention to spare the life of the son. Instead, a ram was presented for completion of the ritual of sacrifice.
This event coincides with the annual Hajj Pilgrimage and becomes a mandatory performance of Hajj, one of the world's largest religious congregations. Now what are the lessons of the sacrificial event involving Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail? First of all, it is total submission to Allah the benevolent. Compliance to God's wishes is fulfilled by the spirit as demonstrated by the two prophets who rebuilt Makka Sharif. Thus Eid-ul-Azha originating from the two prophets' unreserved submission to the Almighty symbolises the quintessence of sacrifice humans can make. The sacrifice of animals combines both spiritual and mundane aspects of Islamic tradition and culture. If the slaughter of an animal in the name God symbolises obeisance to Him, the special mass prayer offered by the Muslims on the morning of Eid-ul-Azha complements the process of seeking divine blessings. An obligation, this prayer is an expression of gratitude for the divine mercy Allah has bestowed upon his followers.
The religious edict here is clear. It is a meeting point between the divine and the mundane. Prayer and sacrifice are religious obligations but the mandatory distribution of two thirds of meat from the sacrificial animal among relatives and the poor---one-third to each--- who cannot afford sacrifice of animals is a pragmatic attempt to share with and care for everyone in society. Here is an attempt to develop an outlook for an inclusive society. No one, not even the poorest of the poor, will be left out so far as the feasts of the day is concerned. If only the doctrine of sharing and caring could be extended to livelihoods and economy throughout the year! The need for reaching out to the needy is overwhelming at a time when the world is drifting towards selfishness and shameless profit-mongering.
The distribution of meat and hides of slaughtered animals has now become an established tradition. But it is yet to be organised in a systematic way. If it were done so, the poor would benefit from it and at the same time, the country's economy would receive a shot in the arm. Once again, the spiritual and the everyday life find here a meeting point. This is quite a positive aspect that makes celebration of Eid-ul-Azha special. It is a strong point of Islam validated by scriptural verses. So these lessons can be recalibrated in the modern context of banking and finance. This could ensure well-beings of the people bypassed by modern economic systems. Eid Mubarak to all.