Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha
Muslims in Ghana will join other Muslims across the globe to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) next Monday.
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Eid-ul-Adha is a Muslim celebration that honours Prophet Ibrahim for his willingness to obey Allah through his willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
For that display of commitment to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah’s command, Allah exchanged that sacrifice with a sheep.
Significance of Eid-ul-Adha
The occasion of the Eid-ul-Adha is, therefore, a test of the faith and obedience of Muslims to the command of Allah. Those who can afford are required to buy and sacrifice animals.
As a requirement of the celebration, Muslims will offer prayers after which they will slaughter animals — goats, sheep and cows — as their sacrifice for the occasion.
Muslims are guided as to how to share the meat — they reserve one third for themselves, share one third among neighbours and the other third among followers of other religious faiths.
The sacrifice, therefore, seeks to bring about peaceful co-existence and harmony between the rich and the poor in the society.
Besides, the giving of meat to adherents of other religious faiths brings about peace, understanding and tolerance between Muslims and followers of those religions.
According to Islamic scholars, Eid-ul-Adha goes beyond the sacrifice of animals, as the feast also challenges Muslims to use their intelligence, wealth, energy and time to better the lot of other people in the society.
Therefore, like other Ghanaians, Muslims owe it a duty to themselves and future generations to contribute their quota to the development of the country.
The Hajj connection
Eid-ul-Adha also marks the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). The pilgrims are also required to sacrifice animals at the end of the pilgrimage.
The pilgirims, who do not have the means to sacrifice animals, are obliged to observe the fast - a part in Mecca and the rest in their home countries - to stand in for the sacrifice.