Spirit of Eid-ul-Adha

The Islamic holiday of Eid-ul-Adha represents the spirit of love and sacrifice believers should have for God. Muslims believe that Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) had a sequence of dreams in which he was sacrificing his son, Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him). When told about the dreams, Prophet Ishmael agreed that his father should do whatever God asks of him. When Prophet Abraham began preparing the sacrifice of his dear son and as he was about to bring down the knife upon him, God accepted his sacrifice and told Prophet Abraham that he passed the test to prove his unyielding obedience and to sacrifice an animal instead.

In this manner, the Holy Qur’an states,
“Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for God, Lord of the worlds.’ ” – (6:163)

The level of spirituality to be willing to give up everything for the sake of God and place one’s life in His hands is what Muslims strive to attain. In honor of the complete obedience that Prophet Abraham had for God, Muslims commemorate this event by sacrificing animals. The meat of the sacrificed animal is divided into three parts so that it can be shared. One part is given to the poor, another is shared with friends and family, and the last is kept for oneself. In this manner, Eid-ul-Adha symbolizes sacrificing, giving, and submission to God.
When Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha by sacrificing an animal in memory of Prophet Abraham, the act is more than just a simple tribute.

The Holy Qur’an states,
“Their flesh reaches not God, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him…” – (22:38)

Thus, there is a profound meaning behind the animal sacrifice that is performed during Eid-ul-Adha. Muslims strive to reach the level of righteousness of Prophet Abraham who was ever ready to give up anything and everything, no matter how precious, for his Creator.
While the Islamic narration of Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son is similar to the Biblical view, there are a few differences. The Holy Qur’an and Bible disagree as to which of his two sons – Prophet Ishmael or Prophet Isaac (peace be upon them) was to be sacrificed in accordance to God’s command. While the Old Testament’s Book of Genesis affirms that Prophet Isaac was the only son, Islam relates that Prophet Abraham had two sons, and the firstborn Prophet Ishmael was thirteen years older than his younger brother Prophet Isaac. Even with this difference, the three great monotheistic religions – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism – all trace their ancestry to the patriarch Prophet Abraham and all have narrations of this willingness to sacrifice someone highly precious in submission to God’s will.

The Holy Qur’an conveys the high status of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) by stating,
“And who is better in faith than he who submits himself to God, and he is a doer of good, and follows the religion of Abraham, the upright? And God took Abraham for a special friend.” – (4:126)

To be like this great prophet is a focus in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a dynamic international organization which believes that the Promised Messiah and Reformer whose advent has been prophesized in major religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community epitomizes their motto “Love for all, hatred for none” in all their deeds and actions to promote and spread the true peaceful teachings of Islam under the leadership of a spiritual successor. The fifth Khalifa or successor, His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, is the world’s leading Muslim figure in promoting peace and inter-religious harmony. His Holiness is constantly reminding the members of his community to hold precedence to their faith over all worldly matters. In this way, we can embody the character of Prophet Abraham and turn ourselves to God for all our needs.