Meanings behind Eid al-Adha

[Alsunna Teacher]

Meanings behind Eid al-Adha

•   Eid al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice is the most important feast of the Muslim calendar.
•   Eid Adha is on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, which is the last month in the Muslim calendar.
•   The 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah is the day when Hujjaj (pilgrims) stand on the mountain of ^Arafat.
•   It is Recommended (Sunnah) to fast the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah.
•   Eid al-Adha concludes the Hajj journey (Pilgrimage) to Meccah al-Mukarramah.
•   Eid al-Adha is followed by 3 days called the Days of Tashreeq.
•   Eid al-Adha commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to obey Allah by sacrificing his son.
•   Muslims believe the son to be Ismail and not Isaac (Ishaq) as told in the Old Testament.
•   Prophet Ismail is considered the forefather of the Arabs.
•   According to the Qur'an, Prophet Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son by slaughtering him.
•   Although the knife was sharpened, but when Prophet Ibrahim came to slaughter Ismail, the knife would not cut anything.
•   He tried to stab with the knife, but it would not cut at all.
•   The reason is that everything that happens in this world is by the will of Allah.
•   Allah did not will for that knife to cut or harm prophet Ismail.
•   Allah protected Prophet Ismail and granted prophet Ibrahim a ram as a sacrifice instead.
•   Today millions of Muslims sacrifice sheep and give them it away for the needy and poor people for the sake of Allah.
•   The Muslim family eats about a third of the meal and donates the rest to the poor.
•   What a great meaning it is to help the needy and make them all equally happy and joyful on this day.
•   The time of the Udhiah or sacrifice begins at the sunrise of the Eid day and ends at the sunset of the third day of the days of Tashriq.

Islamic New Year
•   The Islamic new year begins on the first day of the month of Muharram.
•   The Hijri calendar is counted from the year of the Hijra (the year in which Prophet Muhammad emigrated with Sayiduna Abu Bakr from Mecca to Madinah over 1400 years ago ( Year 622 A.D).
•   Today is the 10th of January 2006 which translates to 10th of Dhul-Hijjah 1426, Hijri.
•   The Muslim Hijri Calendar has 12 months. Each month is either 29 or 30 days.
•   The Hijri months are: Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Akhir, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada ath-Thaniy, Rajab, Sha^ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu'l-Qa^dah, Dhu'l-Hijjah
•   I ask Allah to accept our sacrifices, and I ask Allah to accept our good deeds, Happy Eid and Happy New year.

[Alsunna Teacher]

Eid Adha meanings, society hardships

Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar..
Praise be to Allah who is clear from resembling the creations. I thank him for guiding us to Qur'an and Sunnah, the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, and I sincerely testify that no one is God except Allah who has no partners. I testify that Muhammad is the slave and messenger of Allah, who walked the path of safety in the hereafter, may Allah increase his honor and his kind Al and companions whom raised the call of faith, and by them Allah strengthened the basis of the religion, and cleared the bad innovations and innovators.

Thereafter, Dear brothers, how great it is to mention in this society the great verses of the Qur'an about caring and love between each other. And here are the signs of the Eid such as visiting others and visiting the kinship fills the hearts of the believers' happiness, love and admiration. And there are the lovers of Prophet Muhammad as they are around the Ka^bah performing the great worship of al-Hajj repeating words of glorification to Allah, making Takbeer and Tahlil with one voice: Labayka-llahumma Labayk..

Dear brothers in Islam, the 10th day of Dhil-Hijjah is the blessed day of Eid al-Adha may Allah make it full of goodness, victory and blessings. Also in this blessed morning of sacrifices, the pilgrims head towards Mina to through the pebbles of ^aqabah as Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ^Alayhi Wa sallam did. In this act o dear believers a great lesson, by it the pilgrim will remember  how Satan occurred to Prophet Ibrahim to whisper to Him, and Prophet Ibrahim threw the pebbles at him to degrade him, for, we (the nation of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ^Alayhi wa Sallam) are ordered by him to through the pebbles to recall the doing of Prophet Ibrahim. Also that is an opposing Satan and degrading him.

Dear believers, Eid-ul-Adha carries many great meanings. And the sacrifices that the Muslims slaughter for the sake of Allah in the day of Eid carries a great memorial in reminding us of Prophet Ibrahim when he was ordered to slaughter his son Ismail and how Allah granted him a big ram (sheep).. What's the story behind this sacrifice? Prophet Ibrahim was given the support from Allah against his people, Allah made him a Messenger and a Prophet on them, he was knowledgeable about Allah, he used to worship Allah alone, he used to believe that Allah is the creator for everything and that Allah is the only one who deserves to be worshipped without a doubt in that. When Ibrahim called his people to worship Allah alone and to leave worshipping the idols and the planets, his people belied him after seeing his miracles that show his truthfulness. They wanted to harm him, so Allah saved him from their harm. He moved on to call to Islam and to worshipping Allah only. Thereafter he asked Allah to grant him pious children, so Allah granted him Ismail and Isaac. When his son Ismail grew as Prophet Ibrahim wanted and started to accompany his father, he say in his dream that he was slaughtering his son Ismail. And the dream or vision of the Prophets is a revelation so he immediately determined to accomplish this vision as Allah ordered him. It was said by the scholars of the biographies of the Prophets that when Ibrahim wanted to slaughter his son, he told him let us go and give a sacrifice for the sake of Allah. As he headed towards the mountains with a knife and rope, Ismail asked his father "O father where is your sacrifice" Ibrahim told him "Son I saw in the dream that I was slaughtering you" so Ismail told him "Fasten the rope on me so I don't move, and fold my clothes so that you don't get splattered with blood on you, then my mother will see it and will get upset, and move the knife on my throat quickly so it's easier on me to die, and when you see my mother deliver my salam to her". Ibrahim started crying while kissing him and said "you are such a great help and support to me on the orders of Allah". Then Ibrahim passed the knife on his throat but it did not affect anything, and it was said it flipped. Ismail asked what happened. Ibrahim told him it flipped. Ismail told him to try to stab with it, but it would not cut at all. It would not cut because Allah did not will for it to cut, and because everything happens in this world by the will of Allah, no mobility nor immobility occurs without the will and knowledge of Allah. Allah knows that they truly submit to Allah, so a caller said O Ibrahim you have proved the dream, here is a sacrifice to substitute your son, Ibrahim looked and saw Angle Jibril with a Ram.

Know dear believers, that sacrificing a sheep is a doing for Prophet Muhammad sallalahu ^Alayhi wa Sallam, He used to slaughter two Sheep and he said "Sacrifice and purify yourselves, for, the Muslim who faces the Qiblah when he slaughters his sacrifice, will get great rewards in his balance on the day of Judgment".

It's sufficient in the sacrifice a "Jaz^ah" from the goats (which is the goat who completed a year) and a "Thaniah" from the sheep (which is the sheep that completed 2 years old whether male or female) or a thaniah from the camels or cows.

The time of the Udhiah or sacrifice begins at the sunrise of the Eid day through the duration of two rak^ah and two Khutbah and its time ends at the sunset of the third day of the days of Tashriq. It's not sufficient to sacrifice a one eyed animal, or the ill whose illness is obvious, or the crippled that cannot walk. The best of them is the healthiest. It's Sunnah to face the sacrifice towards the Qiblah and to say "Bismillah, wa-Allahu Akbar, o Allah accept from me". It's recommended also if he was volunteering it, to have the third and give a third. It's not permissible to sell any of it whether it was a Nadhr (oath) or volunteered. And it's not permissible to make its hide or such as a reward for the butcher, rather he is to give it away or se what he can benefit from. It's best for the Muslim to sacrifice it at his house while his family see that. And if he gave the sacrifice entirely for the poor people it would be permissible, however he's not permitted to eat it entirely with his family that he must support.

I ask Allah to accept from us our good deeds, and I ask Him to gather us and you next year on mount ^Arafat. I ask Allah to grant us and you the visit to the grave of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ^Alayhi wa sallam, and to keep us steadfast on Islam. I say this and I ask Allah for me and you forgiveness, winners are those who ask Allah for forgiveness.

Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar..
All praises are due to Allah who is clear from resemblance, and the one who has the count of all things, who is one who does not need anything and everything else is in need for Him. I ask Allah to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad and his kind Al and Companions and those who follow them sincerely.. Dear kind believers, Allah mentioned in the Qur'an that [your nation is one nation, and I am your lord, worship me].

The individuals of the Muslims nation with the difference of their languages and distances between their homes, two great blessed Eids pass on them annually, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha al-Mubarak. Eid al-Fitr comes after the great month of worship and obedience, a month that Allah made the best of months, within it a night that is the best of nights. As for Eid al-Adha al-Mubarak it comes after a day that Allah made the best days of the year which is the day of ^Arafah, the day where Muslims stand in an effective and heart moving scenery. And there are the pilgrims making Takbeer and in the blessed land as their voices echoes in the horizon. Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, Sadaqa wa^dahu wa Nasara ^Abdah wa A^azza Jundahu wa hazamal-Ahzab wahdah. The pilgrims met there to perform the great worship with reliance on Allah and unity between each other as one strong body supporting each other. All this comes to mind as we are in desperate need to remind each other of the good lessons and meanings of our valuable history that carried many sacrifices, a great Eid and a great celebration of martyrships such as the one in Qana - Lebanon, as our the enemy deceived and back stabbed killed, and we remember the big massacre in Dayr Yasseen, and the massacre of al-Masjid al-Ibrahimi in al-Khalil. And Qana the pain that we don't' forget how our children were slaughtered by the enemies whose history is known for such crimes. For, their ancestors belied the messengers of Allah, and cursed Allah why would they not kill our children or destroy our homes and burn our properties. This brings to mind the vicious images of the mother and father who is weakened by carrying his son that has lost his head and hands..

Eid al-Adha dear believers passes this year and the pains and calamities are not forgotten as we remember the destruction of the wild enemies on our countries as they committed the massacres. We now welcome this Eid asking Allah to make it enable us to free our lands and taking our rights back and to make our country a safe place. And to enable the sincere people prosperity and victory. We ask Allah to unite our nation and strengthen us through the hardships and pressures on our society. We are strong when united, and we are able to break the force of the unjust enemy. In solidarity we will be able to protect ourselves and provide a safe and just environment.

I ask Allah to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and you all be prosperous every year.

[Alsunna Teacher]

The UdHiay is Sunnah Mu'akkadah for the one who's able to perform it. It's very rewarding to slaguther the animal and feed it to the people. Allah praised them in al-Qur'an in verses such as:

قوله سبحانه: فَصَلّ لِرَبّكَ وَٱنْحَرْ [الكوثر:2]،.
ويقول سبحانه: وَٱلْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَـٰهَا لَكُمْ مّن شَعَـٰئِرِ ٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ فَٱذْكُرُواْ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُواْ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُواْ ٱلْقَـٰنِعَ وَٱلْمُعْتَرَّ كَذٰلِكَ سَخَّرْنَـٰهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ [الحج:36].

لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلاَ دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ كَذٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبّرُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَبَشّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ [الحج:37: "

وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ

Among the conditions of the UdHiah has condtions, amongst it:
- the animal to be clear from the defects mentioned in alsunna
- and to slaughter it in time which is after Eid prayer till the sunset of the last days of Tahsreeq (3 days after eid al-AdHa)
- and to do it sincerely for the sake of Allah and to feed the needy an poor

[The Tech]

عيد مبارك عليكم!

www.alsunna.org/eidadha.htm