بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
At the end of the hajj (annual pilgrimage to Makkah), Muslims throughout the world celebrate Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). This Eid must be so important that the entire ummah needs a review of the legacy of our father Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
The Quran describes Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) as follows:
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٢٠﴾ شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٢١﴾ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٢٢
Indeed, Ibrahim was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah. (120) [He was] grateful for His favors. Allah chose him and guided him to a straight path. (121) And We gave him good in this world, and indeed, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. (122) [Quran An-Nahl 16:120-122]
Allah tested Prophet Ibrahim with all kinds of tests like nobody else was ever given and he was able to fulfilled all of those challenges. What do those challenges means for you and me? They are not just to remind us about how great he was but what that means for us today and our lives this year.
As a young man, Ibrahim stood up and challenged everything the society accepted. The fragile self esteem of young people, instead of standing on their own feet, they rather hide inside the crowd. They don't decide purely how they should be but what they do is dictated by peer pressure. But Ibrahim challenged the norms of his society and became the object of ridicule because of his loyalty is Allah and the Truth. We should stand up for justice even if it means standing up against our own selves and our families.
Ibrahim went through personal difficulty when he was about to be thrown into the fire. Today we are not being thrown into the fire, but we are being thrown into the social fire. A lot of people when they are being challenged in their faith, they decide not to stand up, and many simply cave in to the societal or familial pressures.
One of the strangest tests given to Ibrahim was that he was commanded to take his wife and infant son to the barren desert of Makkah and leave them there. Alhamdulillah, we are not being commanded to leave our family in a desert but what Allah is teaching us here is that Allah sometimes creates a situation where we have to be separated from our families. It is not because of the command of Allah but because of the decree of Allah. So many people suffered and went through traumatic experience from being separated from their families against their will and a lot of people have lost their loved ones, don't know what happen to them.
Prophet Ibrahim couldn't know what happened to his wife and son in the uninhabited desert. He just relied on Allah and trust Allah. He held on to Allah and didn't complain.
The trials that we go through is not the time to lose hope in Allah.
Yet a much tougher trial was when Prophet Ibrahim was to face the command of Allah to kill his only son. Upon hearing this command, he and his son prepared to submit to Allah's will. When he was all prepared to do it, Allah revealed to him that his "sacrifice" had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his Lord superseded all others, that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to Allah. We are sacrificing the animal because we are commemorating this event.
A lot of times for the sake of Allah we are going to have to put our family through pain. Some of you may make money that is not so halal. And somehow Allah puts in your heart that you can no longer do this. But you can't pay your mortgage anymore, can't buy a nice car, can't go on a family vacation, or can't send for your child's expensive college tuition. Your family will have to go through pain because you submitted to Allah. Though you are not sacrificing your child but you are sacrificing their happiness because you are loyal to Allah. Your family may not like it but these are the sacrifices you and I should be willing to make.
As we go through the trials of Ibrahim, they reflect in our lives in one way or another. We are celebrating that Allah give him all these important tests and never let him go. Allah helped him succeed in all those tests. This should remind us that Allah will never let us go no matter what we go through.
وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ ﴿٧٨
And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (78) [Quran, Al-Hajj 22:78]
Allah doesn't put any difficulty in the religion for us. The difficulty was on Ibrahim. Allah already open that door for you. You should celebrate and hope that Allah will not leave your side. All you have to do is to show loyalty and submission to Allah even it looks like you are about be thrown in a fire, even if it seems like it is not in the best interest of your family. There is a lot of pressure to preserve the happiness of those under you, to preserve the happiness above you. But above of that all those, if you become concern with the happiness of Allah with you that Allah is happy with you, He will see all of those things through and He will help you survive all of those challenges.
When we sacrifice our animals, make sure we give the meat to those who are close and those in need. This is the time that we are not only showing our loyalty to Allah but to soften our hearts by making sure we give and we give to those who are close and to those are in need. In the spirit of Eid, you should try to slaughter the animal yourself and deliver to people. Take your children to those in need and give them a gift personally. It becomes a source of their happiness and their du'a become a source of our happiness.
May Allah accept our worship, prayers, fasting, charity and sacrifice, and bless our Eid and this entire year. Hajj mabrur to all the hajjis and safe return to your respective homes. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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