Haj or the pilgrimage to Makkah is the fourth basic Ibaadat (worship) ordained for the Muslims. It s obligatory only on those who can afford it and that too only once in a lifetime. In other words, if the health and financial resources of a Muslim allow him to undertake the long journey to perform pilgrimage, he must do so as in such circumstances it becomes and obligation for him.
Allah gives His message in the clearest of terms. Here, pilgrimage is stated in a way, which makes it similar to a debt. Since pilgrimage can be offered only at a particular time every year, a delay in offering it once it becomes a duty, is similar to the delay in settling a debt when a person has the money to pay it off.
Pilgrimage is performed at Arafat located at a distance of three miles from the holy city of Makkah-tul-Mukkarama every year on the 9th day of the twelfth or last month of Islamic calendar, where the faithful from all over the world converge long before this grand congregation starts. Prima facie, it is a devotional act, but in reality it is a splendid and harmonious way of uniting the entire Muslim Ummah into one international fraternity. In addition to discharging their liturgical obligation to their Creator, Muslims from all regions of the world get an opportunity to deliberate on the collective social, economic and political problems of the Ummah. Thus substantiating the point that no matter how far away they are distanced from each other, the Muslims are members of one brotherhood, who feel and share the joy and predicaments of their brethren like members of one family.
The rigours of long travel and pangs of separation from his kin are willingly braved by a pilgrim in order to earn the blessings of Allah as he believes that to be a true servant of God is to be obedient to His Will. "As a social order, Islam, the leveller of humanity", observes Mufti Mahmud Ullah in his booklet, How to Become a Muslim, "does not believes in the superiority or inferiority of any man, family, race, colour or nationality. It brings home to its believers (the message) that all men have been created equal. So birth, wealth, status and nationality should not be allowed to stand in the way of human equality".
The performance of Haj reminds a Muslim of the days of Prophet Ibrahim Khalil Ullah (SAW) and also to his willingness to sacrifice the dearest of his possessions in the Way of Allah. The Prophet was ordained by the Divine Will to sacrifice his son, Ismail, in the Way of Allah, to which Commandment he readily and cheerfully agreed as His most obedient servant. And when the Prophet was about to slit the throat of his beloved son, Allah sent a sheep as a substitute for Ismail Zabiullah (SAW), which Prophet Ibrahim sacrificed in the name of Allah.
Since then, the Sunnat (tradition) created by Prophet Ibrahim Khalil Ullah (SAW) is carried forward by the Hajis (pilgrims) and those Muslims, who remain in their homes, who sacrifice goats and sheep on Eidul Azha in commemoration of that supreme act of sacrifice and obedience to the Will of Allah.
Sacrifice of animals on Eidul Azha is recommended but it is not obligatory. It cannot be considered an obligation for the head of a family or any of its members. However, it is strongly recommended. The minimum that one may sacrifice is one sheep for himself and his dependents. If he sacrifices more, his reward will be greater. The sacrificial meat should be consumed in the way recommended by Prophet Muhammad (PBUHS). The best way for one is to keep one-third of the meat for his family, one-third for his relatives and neighbours and the remaining one-third for distribution among the poor.
Regrettably, the act of sacrifice seems to have been converted by many Muslims into a ritual to show off their affluence. By not adhering to the formula recommended by the holy Prophet, they have turned it into an exercise of exhibitionism asserting their social superiority, which is repugnant to the spirit of sacrifice. According to a verse of the holy Quran "Their (animals) flesh will never reach Allah, nor will their blood. What reaches Him is your God-consciousness".
The true spirit of sacrifice for a Muslim is to keep himself in a state of readiness at all times to give his dearest worldly possessions, including his offspring, in the Way of Allah whenever he is required to do so. What can be more endearing for a father than his son, which Prophet Ibrahim Khalil Ullah (SAW), without a second's hesitation, agreed to sacrifice in obedience to Divine Commandment. It was that act of total submission to the Will of Allah, which provided enduring strength to the philosophy and ways of Islam.
In this troubled world of ours the spirit of sacrifice has assumed new meanings for the Muslim Ummah, which is confronted with a plethora of sociological, political and economic problems. Despite occupying a belt of land about 9,000 miles long and having a population of over 1.2 billion, the Muslims are not in a position to adequately meet the challenges of the fast expanding economies of Western world. For example, the total GNP of all Muslim countries equals to one-half of the GNP of Germany and just about one quarter of that of Japan. This seems more unfortunate, if one considers the natural and human resources of the4 Muslim countries, which are exploited for their benefits by the Jewish-dominated capital system of the Western world.
Therefore, following the true spirit of Prophet Ibrahim's tradition, if the oil rich countries of the Muslim World try to resist undue interference of Western industrial robber barons in their countries, they will be in a position to provide substantial financial assistance to the people of Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya and Indonesia, which has recently been devastated by tsunami.
It is high time the Muslims the world over, individually and collectively, celebrated Eidul Azha in such spirit of sacrifice as has been taught to them by Prophets Ibrahim and Muhammd (May their souls rest in eternal peace). In this act lies the salvation of the Muslims and the humankind.
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