Millions of Muslims in Nigeria join fellow adherents of the Islamic faith in commemorating the annual Eid-el-Kabir (the great festival or Eid-el-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). The Eid, which falls on the 10th day of Dhulhijjah, the twelfth month in the Islamic calendar, marks the end of rites for the Muslims undergoing Hajj or pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The occasion is a re-enactment of the faithfulness of Prophet Ibrahim, who dreamt that Allah directed him to sacrifice his son, Ismail (may Allah’s peace be upon both of them) and decided to fulfill the demand of the Almighty. The son knew he was going to be slaughtered, but surrendered himself. And both father and son resigned themselves to the will of Allah.
Having established the faithfulness and obedience of Ibrahim and Ismail to Him, Allah miraculously provided a ram for sacrifice in place of Ismail.
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In the advent of Islam, Allah commanded Prophet Muhammad and Muslims to honour the memory of Ibrahim, described as the father of faith, and his son, Ismail, by slaughtering rams on the three days designated for the Eid festival annually.
The Holy Quran 22: verse 37 states: “Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; give good tidings to the doers of good.”
While congratulating Muslims on this occasion, we wish to remind all of the above-quoted Quran verse that it is the piety behind the slaughtering of ram that Allah demands and not how big and costly the animal. While urging Muslims to take advantage of the opportunity to exhibit piety, as demanded by the Creator, we further enjoin them to make faithfulness and obedience in Allah important features in their daily life.
The lesson from the story of Ibrahim and his son, that whoever showed obedience to the Creator would be rewarded with His kindness and mercy, should not be lost on us.
Muslims and, indeed, all believers in the Almighty should be steadfast in worship and prayers to be deserving of the love and mercy from God.
Nigeria is forever going through trying times in spite of the enormous natural resources the country is endowed with. This unfortunate situation was occasioned largely by the unfaithfulness of leaders, who mismanaged the resources put in their care. The errant leaders live in opulence, while the majority of the population wallows in poverty. The pervasive inequality is manifesting in frequent acts of insecurity, unemployment and other socio-economic challenges across the country.
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The problems in the country notwithstanding, the mercy of Allah to mankind, as exemplified in grace granted Ibrahim and his son are inexhaustible.
The leadership of the nation and the masses only need to seek forgiveness for the wrongdoings and be ready to obey His bidding and Nigeria’s condition will witness positive changes.
The nation’s leaders at all levels must forego their selfish interests for the good and well-being of the generality of the population.
Also worthy of note in the Eid is the spirit of sharing that goes with the distribution of ram meat among family, friends and the needy. Muslims and, indeed, all Nigerians must let this gesture be a regular feature in their daily life. We must shun greed, giveto charity, show mercy to one another, be more tolerant and forgiving.
We wish all Muslims Eid Mubarak and pray for the safe return of the pilgrims from Hajj.
