Eid-ul-Azha is one of the most significant religious festivals for the Muslim Ummah. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah.
The word Eid means "joy," and Azha means "sacrifice" or "offering." Thus, Eid-ul-Azha is the celebration of the joy of sacrifice. On this day, financially able Muslims sacrifice halal animals to attain the pleasure of Almighty Allah. Fundamentally, this festival was initiated to commemorate deep love, obedience, and the spirit of sacrifice for Allah.
The practice commemorates the event when the father of the Muslim nation, Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.), was ready to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail (A.S.), in obedience to Allah’s command.
To immortalize this exemplary act of devotion and self-sacrifice, Eid-ul-Azha was established. Pleased by Ibrahim’s unwavering obedience, Allah replaced Ismail (A.S.) with a ram for the sacrifice. Since then, the ritual of animal sacrifice has been observed.
In the Holy Qur'an, Surah Al-Kawthar (Verse 2) clearly states:
“So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].”
However, the true essence of sacrifice is not merely the slaughtering of animals. Its deeper meaning lies in sacrificing the "beast within"—our greed, jealousy, pride, slander, gossip, and other base instincts.
Purifying ourselves from these inner vices is the real purpose of sacrifice. The act of animal sacrifice is symbolic. Through it, Allah tests our hearts. This is clearly stated in this divine message:
“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 37)
On Eid-ul-Azha, we begin the day with the Eid prayer. Afterward, according to our means, we perform the animal sacrifice. The meat should then be distributed appropriately so that no relatives, neighbors, or poor and helpless people are left out. Needless to say, this practice helps establish social equality and a sense of brotherhood.
We must embrace the spirit of sacrifice in both our personal and social lives to make them more meaningful and beautiful. Without empathy, compassion, and the spirit of self-sacrifice for others, a prosperous and developed society cannot be built. But how ready are we to sacrifice our pride, greed, hatred, jealousy, and anger?
We believe that if people truly learn from the joy of sacrifice that Eid-ul-Azha teaches, no one in society will remain deprived of happiness. Therefore, we must ask ourselves: how much joy is Eid bringing for everyone, especially with a growing population? Moreover, if we fail to let go of divisions, conflicts, and hatred and cannot work together in unity, how can Eid truly be a joyful occasion for all?
Hence, we must strive to build a society of friendship where no citizen is neglected or unloved. To spread the joy of Eid to everyone, we must sincerely fulfill our social responsibilities toward the poor, distressed, needy, and homeless. The government should also increase special allocations or grants related to Eid.
Just as rice is distributed under the VGF program during Eid-ul-Fitr, if there is already a tradition of donating clothes, then why shouldn’t there be a government initiative to distribute Qurbani meat during Eid-ul-Azha?
Finally, on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, we extend our heartfelt greetings and Eid Mubarak to all our readers, advertisers, and well-wishers.
