Idul Adha: the Day of Sacrifice

Today, 27 November 2009, Muslims in Indonesia and other parts of the world celebrate Idul Adha which is also known as the Day of Sacrifice.

On this day, Muslims celebrate a holiday to commemorate the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his own son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. The Prophet's willingness to sacrifice, has made God to allow him to sacrifice a sheep instead of Ismail.
The moral of the story is that we must be ready to part with our most precious possession, whenever necessary. Although it is unlikely that anyone will come to this situation, but the message is clear: Making sacrifices should be part of our daily lives.

Idul Adha annually falls on the tenth day of the month of Dhul Hijja of the lunar Islamic calendar. The festivities last for three days or more depending on the country. Idul Adha occurs after Muslims from around the world conduct the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, descending from Mount Arafat. The event took place around 70 days after the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

In Indonesia, the celebration started with a special morning prayer followed by slaughtering of livestock, usually goats and/or cows, and distribute their meats for poor people.

For details, please click here and here.

In this connection, I wish a Happy Idul Adha to all my Muslims Brothers, Sisters and Friends. I hope that we would all be willing to make sacrifice for our family, our employer, our society and our country whenever necessary and legitimate.