Eid & Family
“Their(sacrificed animal’s) flesh and their blood does not reach Allah, but the devotion(intention) from you reaches Him.”
Alhamdulillah we are approaching yet another time for us Muslims to celebrate. Arguably the best days of the year. Yes insh’Allah we are approaching the blessed First Ten days of Dhul Hijjah which consists of the BEST DAY OF THE YEAR (ARAFAH DAY) and is culminated with the celebration of Eid.
For many of us to inculcated true excitement for this joyous occasion could be a daunting task. Many of us might be thinking how do we feel the true spirit of this Eid? How do we teach our children the true value of Eid in this climate? Ramadhan Eid was a lot easier because of the month of Ramadhan and the fact that it fell in the holidays.
I will try to give some useful tips in this article, for families to try to build the spirit of Eid and answer some of the above mentioned concerns. The truth is that living in the west it is difficult to feel the true spirit of Eid ul Adhaa and it is necessary for us to create an environment, which will make us and our children look forward to the occasion.
- FAST! One way is to value the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Similar to Ramadhan if we spend the first nine days Fasting and worshipping at Night then Eid will feel like a special day. We will feel rewarded by celebrating the food on the blessed day of Eid. At LEAST we should ALL fast on the Day of Arafah (9th of Dhul Hijjah).
- STORY OF IBRAHIM (alaihi salaam)
Sharing this wonderful Story with the family will teach us many Lessons associated with these days and give us life lessons. If we have heard it before listen to it again and I’m sure you will find more depth in it. It consists of lessons of Tawheed, respect, patience and sacrifice. It is a beautiful way to build the love of Allah in our children’s hearts.(something that every Muslim parent desires).
- Sacrifice selection
Since we are unable to sacrifice an animal ourselves in this country it is a good idea to decide as a family where we will be sending the sacrifice this year. Teach the children that there are less fortunate children around the world who we will be feeding meat, many of whom have not eaten meat since last Eid. This will bring gratitude in us, for the bounties Allah has blessed us with.
- Do 1 sacrifice LOCALLY
It is vital to get the spirit of Eid and that is by eating the meat of Sacrifice during the Days of EID. For this it is a good idea to do at least one Sheep locally. Get the children to help distribute the meat between family and friends. This will be tangible to the children and a good way for them to understand the practises of Eidul Adha.
- Spirit and Purpose of Sacrifice
One of the most important things is to understand the purpose of the Sacrifice. It is not only to slaughter an animal but, rather it is symbolic to express to Allah that we are ready to sacrifice anything for our Creator. It is known as Qurbaani which in Arabic originates from the word “Qurb” which means closeness. Let us try to utilise this occasion of sacrifice to gain closeness to Allah. This is the True Sunnah (way) of Ibrahim (alaihi salaam).
May Allah Inspire us to follow in the footsteps of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and enable us to live up to his legacy. (Ameen)
(Mawlana Thaqib)
