Column: The Islamic Celebration ‘Eid-ul-Adha’

[Written by Shabnam Jheengoor]

The Islamic celebration, Eid-ul-Adha, is celebrated by Muslims this week. It is one of the most important celebrations in the Muslim world commemorating the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim and his son, Ishmael [peace be upon both of them] to sacrifice their personal desires and lives for the sake of God.

It is day of joy, a day of rejoicing where Muslims gather for prayers and families and friends get together to share a meal and exchange gifts. It is also a day full of activity as animals are slaughtered on that day and shared among relatives, friends and the needy. Eid-ul-Adha also marks the end of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Eid prayers are usually held in the open. The Islamic way demands that there be no reserved spots for worshippers and worshippers stand shoulder to shoulder while praying, with no space allowed to separate them from each other. Worshippers move in unison while praying following the Imam. It is not hard to guess the purpose of these specific arrangements.

Islam emphasizes unity and brotherhood and condemns discrimination based on status or race. Thus, this spirit of unity is evident in several Islamic practices and rituals. The Hajj similarly conveys this sense of brotherhood when all pilgrims don simple white clothes and undertake the rituals in unison, for instance the circumambulation of the Kaaba.

One would expect that the Islamic world would reflect the emphasis on unity that is evident in Islamic teachings and practices. Instead, absolute chaos and disunity prevails in the Muslim world. Clerics and Muslim leaders hurl accusations and vile abuse at each other without any fear of God.

Last year, 2,400 pilgrims, of which many were Iranians, were crushed to death during the Hajj. This year, the pilgrimage has been overshadowed by the row between the Iranian government and the Saudi regime. Iran’s supreme leader, has accused the Saudis of the murder of innocent Iranians and called them ‘puny satans’. Of course, the Saudi grand mufti, had to reply and in turn, called the Iranians disbelievers and enemies of Muslims.

One could maybe console oneself if this chaos had been limited only to the hurling of allegations and abuse. Unfortunately, as is evident in Syria, the division and disunity runs deep enough to fracture long-time relationships between friends and neighbours. Syria is now fractured in several groups all at war with each other. Peace seems to be a long way off.

Refugees and mass immigration has become one of the most challenging issues of our times as have problems of culture clashes and integration of immigrants especially when the latter are practicing Muslims. One of the favourite riposte of opponents of immigration when accused of being heartless is how we can welcome Muslim refugees in our midst and expect them to integrate when they cannot even tolerate and live in peace with each other?

If we Muslims refuse to deal with our doctrinal differences in a peaceful and respectful way, can we realistically expect others to believe that, as commanded by the Holy Quran, we respect their right to hold differing religious viewpoints? Doctrinal differences should not be the cause for hatred and violence but rather should be seen as an opportunity for respectful discussions and healthy debates and knowledge and truth seeking. The same applies to doctrinal differences between faiths.

The Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, rightly emphasized the following during an address to non-Muslim dignitaries in Germany recently: “Islam teaches that religion is a matter of one’s heart and so no one can be forced to accept any religion. The Holy Quran has clearly stated that there should be no compulsion in religion”.

May be Eid be an Eid of peace and unity. Eid Mubarak!

Shabnam Jheengoor, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Bermuda

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