The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Significance of Id

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Friday, Jan 21, 2005

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Miscellaneous - Religion

Significance of Id

CHENNAI, JAN.20 . Zilhaj is the 12th and last month of the lunar calendar in which three Ids— Id-ul-Azha, Id-e-Ghadeer and Id-e-Mubahila— as depicted in the Quran fall. This event of deepest enduring misery of a father sacrificing his son to fulfil the wishes of the Creator dates back to about 2793 years before Hijrath (migration of the Prophet (Sal)). Hazrath Ibrahim (Sal) in the vision— a spiritual communion between Allah and the Prophet— by way of trial had the command conveyed. The son Ismail (AS) readily consented and offered to turn his vision into reality.

The morning of 10th, Zilhaj dawned. Ismail (AS) saw death running towards him but he was not perturbed by the presence of death amidst life and requested his father to perform what Allah had ordained. With tears brimming in his eyes, Ibrahim (AS) blindfolded himself and asked his son to lie down so as to slaughter. When Hazrath Ibrahim saw his son alive and a lamb lying dead, he had the lurking doubt that Almighty Allah did not pay heed to his supplication. But Allah said, "O' Ibrahim; you have indeed materialised your dream surely; thus do we reward the doers of good. Most surely this a manifest trial. And we ransomed him with a great sacrifice. And we perpetuated (praised) to him among later generation." (Holy Quran) According to interpretations by theologians and as Iqbal has said, the sacrifice of Hazrath Ismail is the prologue and the supreme sacrifice of Imam Hussain (AS) who spearheaded a significant movement, which heralded an ecstatic devotional ethos, is the climax.

Islam, which encapsulates the doctrine of equality, has cut across social classes as well as generational and geographical divides enjoins on every Muslim the world over who can afford to ensure provision of a sumptuous morsel of food by distributing the meat amongst the deserving and destitute, obtained by slaughtering a defect-free camel of five years, or a cow or he-goat of one year or a she-goat, sheep or ewe of six months in Qurbani (sacrifice) on the 10th Zilhaj on a par with the ritual performed during Haj on this day. Seven to 70 partners may also collectively venture on the performance of Qurbani but preferably personally. Hazrath Ismail has shown us the wisdom by setting a meaningful example of obedience to the parents to the extent of annihilating himself.

MIR MAZHER HUSSAIN,

Chennai.

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