Significance of Eid-ul-Adha

Address by Maulvi Mustafa Khan on 14 August 1921, Woking, UK

ILAN, January 2004 Issue (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 7–8)

Islam: A Very Old Religion:

Islam is a very old religion; it is as old as humanity itself, and it did not originate with the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, who was, of course its last exponent. The Western mind often makes a mistake in looking upon the Prophet as preaching something new, having nothing to do with the faith of those who preceded him. But, that is quite wrong. Take, for instance, the Eid of Bairam or Feast of Sacrifice. It is associated with the great patriarch Abraham, who is the common ancestor of Moses, Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them. So far as the origin of the Eid‑ul‑Adha is concerned, it has no association with the Holy Prophet himself, but it can be traced back to the time of Abraham, who is the common father of the Semitic races. It is connected with two functions, viz., (1) Pilgrimage of Mecca and (2) Sacrifice.

Sacred House of Mecca:

The verses mentioned above relate to the sacred house of Mecca, which is the object of pilgrimage of Muslims. It is the same house towards which we face in prayer, and it is the unique feature of this house that so many millions of Muslims scattered all over the world say their daily prayers facing towards it, making it a living centre of Islam. How and when was this house built? History is unable to answer this question. The tradition of the Arabs tells us that the house belongs to a very remote antiquity, of which we have no record. The Holy Qur’an says that it was the first house that was dedicated for the worship of one God. In the time of Abraham, however, this house was in a state of ruins, and when Abraham left his favourite wife and son Ishmael in the desert of Arabia, he rebuilt it as a place for worship of one God. It was therefore associated with Abraham, and was resorted to by the people, who acknowledged it as the most sacred place on the surface of the earth. But by the lapse of time the descendants of Abraham — the wild children of the Desert — became idolatrous, and placed three hundred and sixty idols in the same sacred house which was meant for the worship of Allah. Then, in accordance with the Prayer of Abraham as contained in the above‑quoted verses, the Holy Prophet was raised, who cleared the “house of God” from these idols and re‑established the unity of God in the land which had been sunk in the worst type of idolatry. The twofold prayer of Abraham was granted. The barren piece of desert was converted into a beautiful city full of provisions and fruits, and the Holy Prophet was raised to purify the mankind.

Pilgrimage:

The Muslims of all parts of the world now go to Mecca and make a pilgrimage of the sacred house. This shows how selfless the Holy Prophet Muhammad was. He has no wish to blow his own trumpet. He does not make his own shrine the object of pilgrimage for his followers, but clearly lays down that his tomb should not be made an object of worship. In appointing Mecca as the place of pilgrimage, however, he has revived the sanctity of the old house that was built for the worship of one God, and has also tied together the Christians, Jews and Muslims into the bond of fraternity, because Abraham is their common ancestor and common Prophet.

On pilgrimage one has to put off the ordinary clothes, and wear one kind of dress consisting of two seamless sheets, leaving the head uncovered. The pilgrim also has to make seven circuits round the Kaba. In fact, the condition of a pilgrim, his different movements and the fashion of dress represent the highest stage of the divine love. The worshipper is imbued with the true love of God, and in a state of ecstasy makes circuits round the house of one God. His dress is very simple, humble, and uniform, because all distinction of wealth and position must sink into insignificance in the sight, of God. In pilgrimage the whole of humanity assumes one aspect, one attitude before its Maker, and thus the brotherhood of man becomes a living reality. It should, however, be borne in mind that we do not worship the Kaba; we only respect it as the house that was built for the worship of one God.

Sacrifice:

The other function with which the festival of today is associated is the institution of sacrifice. It has also its origin with Abraham. He saw in the vision that he was sacrificing his son Ishmael. Abraham, a true lover of God as he was, wanted to translate it into action and sacrifice his beloved son, showing thereby that his love for God was the most supreme, and nothing in the world could prevent him from obedience to God. He was going to sacrifice his son when the revelation came: “O Abraham, you have made your vision true!” and the animal sacrifice was substituted. The history of all the nations of the world shows that human sacrifice has always been practised in one form or the other. But Islam came to rescue humanity from this curse, and it substituted animal sacrifice.

However, there lies a deep significance under the institution of the sacrifice. It is a symbolical institution, and teaches us that we should be invariably ready to sacrifice everything — our passions, our carnal desires, our riches, our position for the love of God. Thus the pilgrimage and sacrifice are, so to speak, the physical image of our devotion to God, and represent the sentimental side of our faith, because Islam is both a religion of head and heart.

Source: Adapted from The Islamic Review, August 1921, pp. 269–273

Top