In few days, it will be the Feast, The Great Feast of Islam and Muslims (‘Aid al Adhâ, ‘Aîd al-Kabîr). Millions of faithful are in Mecca performing the pilgrimage. From the Centre, they convey their blessings to all parts of the world. Days of meditation and prayers. Our Feast.
A jihad for everybody. Some will walk for hours around Mecca; others will fast during these days of light and love. These are the very hours of nearness, with God, with human beings.
Among those who deserve special attention during our feasts are – of course – the poor and needy people, as well as the orphans. Never a feast is approaching in Islam without carrying with it the remembrance of poverty.
During the greatest feast, there is a sunna, a recommended act of worship, which consists in scarifying a sheep in remembrance of Abraham. It is a recommended deed the national and family custom have sometimes transformed into duty. It is not the case. It is but a recommendation. In addition to that, Muslim scholars have, for a long time, reminded the Muslims that they could donate the sacrifice’s equivalent in money or food to the needy people. In a time where some sacrifice their sheep without being able to show respect to the animals – that are too often mistreated and are suffering -; in a time of so much meat’s waste… it is imperative not to lose our way and to be driven by traditional practises and to come back to the very essence of the Islamic message: to respect the animals and to feed the poor people. It is thus better to refrain from scarifying a sheep, avoid waste and suffering, and send the equivalent sum of money to the needy people of the world.
The Muslims are invited to pray, to come back to the essential and – beyond anything – not to betray the message of Islam through a narrow literalism and cultural traditions which transform into obligation a recommendation and do not help us the reach the true objective of our spirituality. The poor people have this right on us.
Happy Feast, ‘Aid Mubârak. May God, The One, The Most-Nearer, love you, protect you and go along with you.
Tariq
