Id-ul-Azha, which falls on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, honours the prophets Ibrahim and his first son Ismail — the former for his readiness to sacrifice his son for God, and the latter for offering himself willingly in fulfilment of a divine vision. In commemoration of the selflessness of these prophets, an animal is ritually slaughtered on this day. However, the Koran informs Muslims that animal sacrifice is not a propitiatory ritual as neither the blood nor the flesh reaches God. What matters is the humanitarian intent. It has been stated that Prophet Muhammad sacrificed just one goat for himself and his family, and allowed larger cattle to be shared by seven people. But he taught us that real sacrifice lies in selflessly committing ourselves to the service of humanity. It is for this reason that the Koran describes the sacrificial animal as hady, or a gift, to be given to the poor and the needy. In today’s context, the best gift would be an act done to alleviate the economic and educational backwardness that afflicts a large section of humanity.
Id-ul-Azha also marks the end of the period of the Haj, which according to the Koran is an occasion for people to assemble and “witness the benefits (spiritual and temporal) provided for them” (liyash'hadu manafiha lahum). In other words, the Koran is hinting that in Haj Muslims have a unique international forum which, after the Haj is performed, may be put to effective use to address the world’s problems. Indeed, the Prophet's historic Last Sermon was delivered during the Haj. This distinctive quality of the Muslim pilgrimage to lend itself to both spiritual and mundane interpretations makes it one of Islam’s most humanitarian institutions, worthy of celebration on this day.
A. Faizur Rahman
