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Significance of Eid-Al-Adha

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As Salaam Aleikum Brother Burhan, As the Eid Al-Adha is approaching I would like to ask you a few things:-

1) What did Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) do on this day ?

2) Is it compulsary to do Qurbani on this day by the head of the family or is it compulsary for every member of the family or It is just a Sunnah ?

3) Where the meat of this Qurbani to be distributed ?

4) What should one pray on this day ?

5) How did this day came into effect, Any Quranic reference please ?

5) What are the importance & responsibility on Muslims for this day ? May god bless you

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Eid Al-Adha

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

We assume and will answer all the question you have asked regarding the Eid-al-Adha for the believers who are not actually performing the pilgrimage of Hajj.

Your question: What did Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) do on this day ?

The Messenger of Allah (saws) led the Eid prayers in his mosque in Medina, then performed the sacrifice, and had the meat of the sacrificed cooked, and ate some of it.

The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) is that one should abstain from taking a full meal, but should rather make his first meal from the meat of the sacrificed animal. Please note that this does not mean that one should fast or abstain from eating or drinking anything else prior to the meal from the meat of the sacrificed animal. One is permitted to eat or drink as he wills; but it is preferable to make his first main meal from the meat of the sacrificed animal.

Your question: Is it compulsary to do Qurbani on this day by the head of the family or is it compulsary for every member of the family or It is just a Sunnah ?

Performing the sacrifice or Qurbani is a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws); and not obligatory. If one performs the sacrifice, there is a huge reward for him from Allah Subhanah. And if for any reason, one does not perform the sacrifice, there is no sin. The most one can say of the ones who have the means but do not perform the sacrifice, is that they missed the opportunity to earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) was asked what one would get if he performed the sacrifice, he (saws) replied that Allah would give the person a ‘hasanah’ (or reward) for each hair of the animal sacrificed… basically implying that there was a huge reward from Allah Subhanah for this deed.

One Qurbani per family is enough; but if one does more than one, he will earn more reward from Allah Subhanah.

Your question: Where the meat of this Qurbani to be distributed ?

It is preferred to distribute the meat of the Qurbani into three parts:

Keep one part for himself and his immediate family

Distribute one part amongst friends and family

Distribute one part amongst the poor and needy believers.

But if one keeps the full meat of the Qurbani for himself, there is no harm and no sin. It is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that he used to eat part of the Qurbani meat himself.

Your question: What should one pray on this day?

One should pray the Eid prayers with the believers, and perform the Qurbani or sacrifice… as both are considered Ibaadah or worship for the Pleasure of Allah Subhanah. Apart from this, one may pray and do dhikr of the Merciful Lord as much as he/she wills.

Your question: How did this day came into effect, Any Quranic reference please ?

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared two days as Eids or days of celebration for the believers. One is Eid-al-Fitr which the believers celebrate after the month of fasting (1st Shawwal); and one is the Eid-al-Adha which is to be celebrated after the Day of Hajj or Arafah, that is the 10th of Dhil-Hajjah.

This day of Eid-al-Adha is dedicated to Allah Subhanah in remembrance and the honor of the Supreme Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), where he was commanded by Allah in a dream to sacrifice his only son Prophet Ismail (a.s.), and which Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) willingly accepted, and went ahead whole-heartedly to obey his Lord. When Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) had laid down his beloved son Prophet Ismail (a.s.) to sacrifice him, Allah told him that He was only testing him, and substituted a ram to be sacrificed instead of his beloved son. Allah accepted and honored this Supreme Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), and was so pleased with the deeds and sacrifice of Khalil-ur-Rahmaan’ Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), that the All Mighty honored the name and act of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) to be followed by the believers until the Day of Judgement!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 37 Surah Saafaat verses 99-111:Ibrahim said, “I shall go to my Lord. He will guide me. (And he prayed) O my Lord! Grant me a son who should be amongst the Righteous.” (In answer to this prayer) We gave him the good news of a gentle and clement son. When the boy (Prophet Ismail) reached the age to work with him, (one day) Ibrahim said to him, “O my son! I have dreamt that I am sacrificing you. Now tell me what you think of it?” He (Prophet Ismail) said, “ My dear father, do as you are being commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the patient.” At last, when the two had submitted themselves (to Allah), and Ibrahim had flung his son down on his brow, and We called out: “O Ibrahim! You have indeed fulfilled your vision! Thus do We reward the righteous. This was indeed a manifest trial (from your Lord).” And We ransomed his son for a Great Sacrifice, and left for him praise among posterity for ever! Peace is upon Ibrahim. Thus do We reward the Righteous.

Your question: What are the importance & responsibility on Muslims for this day ?

The importance and responsibility of the believers on this day in particular and all days in general is that we should take the example of the Noble and Great Father of the Prophets, Khalil ur-Rahmaan, Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) and obey and follow each and every command of Allah Subhanah unconditionally. Allah has so honored and was so pleased with the obedience and worship of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) that The All Mighty Lord chose Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) as His ‘Khalil’ or Choicest Friend! There is no bigger honor than this, when the Lord of the Universe Himself chooses one amongst His created slaves and makes him His Choicest Friend! Such was the honor and position given to the Noble and Great Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), who spent his whole life in the worship and cause of Allah Subhanah. Seldom in the history of man, has a human being faced so many trials like the trials of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), each of which the noble Prophet passed with flying colors! All his life, this Noble Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) faced trials upon trials for his belief in the One Lord, but never did he sway away from the Straight Path of Islam! Allah Subhanah accepted his deeds, and so honored and raised his position, that He made him the Father of all the Divine Religions, and chose from his loins all the Prophets of Bani Israel, and also from his loins chose the Last and Final Messenger, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws); who declared that he himself followed the Way of the noble Prophet Ibrahim!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 161:(O Mohamed) say, “As for me, my Lord has most certainly guided me to the Straight Path, the ever True Faith, Ibrahim’s Way, which he adopted exclusively and whole-heartedly, and he was not of those who associated others with Allah.”

Our duty and responsibility as believers, is to follow the same way as was followed by all the Prophets of Allah Subhanah, and obey, follow, invoke and worship none but Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything that exists in between.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan


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