Lessons of Eid Al Adha

Although it seemed as if we had only just celebrated Eid Al Fitr after Ramadan back in May, this year’s Eid Al Adha has come at an alarming rate. Unlike the typical month-long build-up during Ramadan for Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha has a build-up that is a bit different and tends to take people a little bit by surprise.

Despite this, Eid al Adha is usually classified as the bigger of the two Eid and is celebrated to commemorate the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage (a pilgrimage that every able Muslim needs to do once in their lifetime). This year, like last year, Hajj has been scaled down to mitigate against the Coronavirus Pandemic with only 60,000 pilgrims allowed in comparison to the 2.5 million seen in 2019. But with lockdowns ending in the UK on the day of Arafat 19th of July, hope is on the horizon inshallah that we can get back to our normal Eid and Hajj season soon enough!

Eid al Adha translates to the festival of sacrifice and is used to commemorate the sacrifice that the Prophet Ibrahim was ordered to do when asked to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith. However, at the time of sacrifice, Ismail was replace by a lamb and that is directly reflective in the practice of Qurbani that Muslims every year during the every Hajj period. When doing the Qurbani a third of the sacrificed meat is given to friends and family, a third is given to those in need and the final third is kept.

There are many lessons we can take from the story of Ibrahim but the example of his willingness to sacrifice for the sake of God is one we take a lot of inspiration and guidance from. Be it our businesses, jobs, relationships or how we conduct ourselves in our day to day lives, there is a something in Islam that guides in on how we should live our lives. Islam is more than a religion, it’s a way of life and the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) sunnah is the perfect practical example of how we can conduct ourselves regardless of the situation. When you’re struggling to find inspiration and guidance on what to do, listening or reading an explained Seerah is something that the Riwaya team really recommends!

But we realise it’s not always easy in practice. That’s why we finish up this blog with a reminder for everyone at Riwaya and those who are reading this: ‘If we give up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something that is better for you.’

From everyone here at Riwaya, we hope you and your family have an amazing Eid Al Adha filled with joy and laughter. If you liked our blog, subscribe and join us on our journey as we try and create the best online Islamic marketplace in the world inshallah!