EID-UL-ADHAR AND HAJJ

Eid-ul-Adhar and Hajj

Today is Eid ul Adhar, I've been up since before Fajr. Performed my Namaaz though not in Jamaat as I would have liked to, but did it at home only because I still had so many things to do before I could leave home to attend the Eid Salaah and Khutba. After I had a shower and got dressed,  filled the kettle to make coffee and ironed my white Thowb while waiting for the kettle to boil. I put some bread in the toaster while I was making coffee and laid the table. My wife and I had a light breakfast of toasted cheese and spiced beef sandwiches and coffee.  It was exactly 6:36 when I closed the front door behind me as I left. I had 11 minutes to get to my destination on foot. As I walked in the direction of the mosque, I could  hear the cries in the distance "Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Laailaha ill lallah! Wallahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Wa lillahil hamd! "   "Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Laailaha ill lallah! Wallahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Wa lillahil hamd! " "Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Laailaha ill lallah! Wallahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Wa lillahil hamd! " As I drew nearer the Eidgah, the chanting becoming progressively louder as I walk briskly with my Musalla under my arm. The vibrations in the air coming from 10 thousand voices making Takbier sent shivers down my spine as I drew even closer. The Eidgah was being held on the sports field where the rafia runners were laid out to form as a square of approximately 400 meters x 400 meters and I happen to find a place in the second Saff. I laid down my Musalla, sat upon it and joined in with the Takbier.

Shortly thereafter everyone present stood shoulder to shoulder to perform Salaatul Eid with its 7 additional Takbieraat in the first Raka'aat and with 5 additional Takbrieraat in the second Raka'aat. Followed by a very powerful and long Duah, for Jannah, forgiveness, mercy, guidance, prosperity, Rizk, health and well being for all Muslims and assistance to the Mujahideen, Fee Kulli Makan. 

Thereafter the Imaam started the Eid Khutbah and expounded on the sacrifices of the Hujjaj, who amassed on the plains Arafat the previous day. All chanting "Labaik Allahuma Labaik! Labaik la sharika laka Labaik! Innal Hamda wann'imata laka wal mulk, la sharika lak!"  He drew comparisons between individuals who are not on hajj and the Hujjaj who are. And the sacrifices we need to make in unison with the Hujjaj, like fasting on the day of arafaat and not cutting your nails during the first 10 days of  Thul-Hijjah. He continued about how the Muslims are falling into the same habits that caused the Bani Israel to loose favour with Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,  Quoting several Qur'anic verses to substantiate his very powerful words. How divided they were that Nabie Moosa had to strike the rock with his staff from which 12 fountains of water gushed forth. Twelve because of their disunity. Ending off with the Qur'anic epic of Nabie Ibraheem eradicating the idols of his people and preferece of belief in the One True God Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, The sacrifice of Nabie Ismail and the running of Sayedati Hajira between Safa and Marwa. 

He further enlightened that Eid al-Adhar is also known as Youmul Nahr, the day of sacrifice in which Muslims slaughter sheep, and cattle for distribution of its meat to family and the needy and keep a portion for personal consumption. Highlighting that it is not the meat nor the blood that reaches Allah but our individual piety. After the sermon my wife and I attended a Qurbaan where 12 sheep and to bulls were slaughtered which took up the better part of the morning. I was there to assist in the chanting of the Takbier, witnessing the blood flow and skinning of the sheep. Since we were invited for lunch elsewhere, we were on our way soon thereafter.
Eidul-Adhar is the celebration commemorating the completion of Hajj in Makkah which has been annually attended by millions of Hujjaj uninterrupted for more than 1436 years. Eidul Adhar is celebrated on the 11 day of  Thul-Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic year and within 20 days it will be the 1st of Muharram 1437 A.H

QUR'AN IL KAREEM

Navigating the Qura'an

The Qur'an is the scared scripture of Islam and testified to by more than one third of the world's population. Restated; that's approximately 2.4 Billion Muslims out a global population of  7 billion people. 

The remaining 4.7 billion can be further divided into hundreds of lesser groups, sharing beliefs in one of at least a dozen  conflicting belief systems. Among these are Catholicism, Protestantism, Mormonism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Confucianism,  Pasiism,  Shintoism, Toaism, Rastafarianism, Manichaeism, Unitarianism, Zoroastrianism and Shamanism, etc.. but not in any particular order. 

Then there is also ideologies like Atheism and Agnosticsm, Communism, Paganism, Gnosticism and Mysticism which collectively cater for the   spiritual needs of non-Muslims. As can be seen, Islam is a the pre-eminent monotheistic faith of the three monotheistic faiths, surpassing Judaism by far, and close behind 

Christianity with its 600 year lead and its dozens of denominations. Among which are  Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Amish, Armenian, Apostolic,Anglican, Methodist, Pentecostal, Baptist, Calvin, Puritans, Presbyterian, Quakers, Universalists, Coptic, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist, Latter-day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Dominican, Trappists and Revivalists, etc... and the list goes on.

The world Muslim is an Arabic term which means "the who submits" or  "submitter" if you like. So anyone obedient to the laws of Islam, is in fact a Muslim, who willingly submits his will to that of God Almighty-Allah. Islam is said to be the world's "youngest religion" but this is not strictly true, because the Qur'an emphatically tells us that Adam submitted his will to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,  and so did Noah, and Abraham and Jacob, Joseph and Moses and Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all), as well as all the other prophets not specifically mentioned. 

As Muslims, we make no distinction between them as they were all mighty prophets of God Almighty - Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. This re-enforces the idea that Islam as a religion existed since time immemorial but was perverted by its followers hence the need for prophets and scriptures to guide mankind back to true belief. Abraham as well as Moses was given the Scrolls (Suhuf), David was given the Psalms (Zaboer), Moses was given the Old Testament (Torah), Jesus was given the Evangel (Injeel) and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) was given the Qur'an il Kareem.

As Muslims, we firmly believe the Qur'an is God Almighty's final revelation to all of mankind, besides it provides internal evidence to this effect. Additional internal evidence tells us that the Qur'an was revealed to prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a guidance to believers and that there is no doubt in it, and that the Qur'an echos that which were given to both Abraham and Moses.  

The Qur'an further reassures us that if its originator was any other than God Almighty himself, it would nave been riddled with errors and inconsistencies. The Qur'an also rectifies a perverted concept of God that existed for centuries and still does, calling mankind to worship their creator and not the created.  

Below is a short extract from Surah Baqara (Qur'an Chapter 2) that you should read with comprehension and see the magnificence for yourself. Bear in mind the Qur'an is originally an Arabic document with nuances that the English language would never be able to translate. There is end rhyme in paragraphs discussing a certain topic, and when the topic changes, the end rhyme changes, yet there is perfect clarity of verse and transfer of thought, and guidance to righteousness, admonishment to the perverted, using very few words, which are very explicit and exact. 

Its just one of its hidden miracles of the Qur'an, yet so many haters oblivious of the fact that Prophet Muhammad was un-lettered, claim that he wrote this masterpiece, all 114 chapters of it. Maintaining a constant theme using about 80 000 words, approximately 2000 of which are reused over and over. The beauty of the Qur'an is that it can be committed to memory in its entirety in a time of two years or less. This has been achieved by millions of Hufaaz over and over by during a period spanning almost 1500 years.

V21. O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous –

V22. [It is He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him].

V23. And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down [Qur'an] upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful.

V24. But if you do not – and you will never be able to – then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men

and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.

V25. And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally.

V26. Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an example – that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. And those who have believed know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allah intend by this as an

example? "He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient,

V27. Who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which All h has ordered to be joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the losers.

V28. How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned.

V29. It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.