While the pilgrims are in Arafat, Muslims around the world are fasting. All are coming close and remembering, from the periphery to the center, the existence of the One, His mercy, His forgiveness, His love. His nearness.
His is the One (al-Ahad), He is the Merciful (ar-Rahmân), Dispensator of all the mercies (ar-Rahîm). To Him, during these days, one has to come close. To meditate, to serve, to love.
To serve, to love, to meditate. Deep in one’s inner self, to seek and find the meaning and the gift, and to cover them with generosity and love.
The feast of sacrifice is a feast of love. A Saint Valentine raised to the power of eternity. One must love, love and serve, love and meditate.
The sacrifice is a sign and a symbol. Would it be necessary to remember that it is a sunna mu’akadda (certified tradition) which is not a formal obligation and could be substituted with a gift (or the equivalent in money) to avoid not respecting the animal or wasting? Would it be useful to remember this meditation while enjoying the feast?
Happy Feast, with both the One’s and your relatives’ love
Happy Feast, at the service of both…The One and all the human beings
Happy Feast in meditation, close to the One and the Meaning
Far from formalism and appearances, to share loving the Divine while respecting both His human and animal creature.
To say “BismiLLah…" (I start with God, in the name of God…) and to spread around love and lots of peace.
Salam ‘alaykum, Peace be with you, and Happy Feast, Eid Mubarak
Thank you for addressing the sacrifice in this way. It is hard to overcome traditions, even if it is to the benefit of overriding principles. Our role as Muslims in protecting the environment is another good reason to rethink this issue.
The way how you present us the feast of sacrifice is wonderfull brother Tariq! Thank you for this beautifull message of congratulation and may Allah reward you with the best things, jazak Allahu khayran! May Allah accept our good deeds and forgive us all our sins! May Allah guide us to the right path and fulfill our hearts with love for Him! May Allah liberate all those who are oppressed by their oppressors! Amin!
Happy feast for you,brother Tariq, your family and all the muslims around the world!
Happy feast for all humankind!
Eid Mubarak Brother Tariq and your team. We pray that Allah will bless you and you invaluable work to enlighten and guide the misguided.
Wa AS-Salamu Alaikum
Mohammed Amirech
The following text copied from the alislam.org website (indicated below), will be in brief replying your question; so gift items cannot symbolically replace such sacrifice:
The act of sacrifice is symbolic
reminding the person who offers it
that as the animal is inferior to him
so he, also, is inferior to God and
should, therefore, be ready to
sacrifice himself and all his personal
interests and inclinations for the
sake of God when he is required to do
so. The attainment of righteousness
should be the goal of every Muslim.
The Holy Qur’an states:
Verily the most honourable among you
in the sight of Allah is the one who
is most righteous among you. (49:40)
Those who do good and act righteously
shall have a great reward. (4:173)
Verily he truly prospers who purifies
himself, and remembers the name of his
Lord and offers prayers. (87:15)
Eid-ul-Adha is an occasion on which
Muslims everywhere are encouraged to
make every kind of sacrifice for the
spiritual, moral, social, and economic
uplift of mankind and especially their
own. If they make it a common cause
and strive to manifest in themselves
the attributes of God in accordance
with the teachings and guidance of the
Holy Qur’an and teachings of the Holy
Prophet then, indeed, the message of
Eid-ul-Adha would have borne fruit.