Dr. Md. Iqbal Hossain :
Eid-ul-Azha is one of the major religious festivals of Muslims Ummah . For devoted Muslims, it is a day of absolute joy manifested in the glory of sacrifice. Muslims around the world offer animal sacrifices on Eid-ul-Azha to gain the pleasure and mercy of Allah Almighty. Eid-ul-Azha commemorates the complete surrender of Prophet Ibrahim (A) to the Almighty and the glorious sacrifice of Ishmael (A). The glory of sacrifice launders away the narrowness of our inner world. By embracing this great spirit of Islam, we can glorify the individual, family, society, and national life in the teachings of becoming a full human being through sacrifice, patience, and perseverance. Therefore, the multi-faceted educational consciousness and significance of Eid-ul-Azhaare immense.
The main thing of Eid-ul-Azha and Qurbani is to achieve Allah’s satisfaction. The word Muslim means one who surrenders. Unconditional obedience to the rules and regulations of Allah Almighty is the essence of Islam. It is not possible to become a Muslim if one has the attitude of ‘I will obey any provision if it is reasonable, otherwise I will not obey it. Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) has set the best example of this obedience and surrender for humanity. His undisputablestatement was- ‘My prayer, my sacrifice, my life, my death are dedicated to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and I have been guided in that, and I am the first to surrender. (A’raf : 162)
Eid-ul-Azha as a festival is associated with religious sentiments. The life and religion of Islam are tied in the same thread. So Eid is not only a source of joy but also a sense of duty, sympathy, and brotherhood. The idea of harmony among people from all walks of life is especially significant here. The human mind is tested by the sacrifice offered on Eid-ul-Azha, the flesh and blood of the sacrifice never reach Allah. Only the human heart is seen. In the Holy Qur’an, the subject is as follows: “The flesh and blood of this sacrifice do not reach Allah at all, but your piety does.” (Hajj :36).
It is necessary to acquire taqwa from Riya in all respects before the sacrifice. One has to be aware of the fact that the aspect of gaining fame or fame cannot be imagined.
Eid has the message of equality, the identity of a compassionate heart. The human mind is inspired by the great ideals of benevolence and sacrifice. Sacrifice reduces the lure of worldly wealth and life.Some of the meat of the Qurbani is encouraged to be distributed among relatives, neighbours, and the poor and needy of the society so that all the members of the society can enjoy a non-discriminatory joy on the same day, albeit temporarily. The situation of covid-19 needs to be more sympathetic to the poor and needy people in this great day.May Allah give us tawfiq to understand the meaning of Eid-ul-Azha properly and follow it. Amen.
(Dr. Md. Iqbal Hossain is Professor, Islamic University Kushtia).
