'Idul Adha
Every community observes some festivals.
On such occasions, people, according to their
circumstances, put on good clothes, eat nice dishes and
express their joy in various other ways. The festivals
fulfill a fundamental human need, and, hence, a few days
are set aside for rejoicing and entertainment in every
nation and country.
In Islam, also, two such days have been fixed, those of
'Idul Fitr and 'Idul Adha. These, alone,
are the religious and communal festivals of Muslims.
Whatever festivals they celebrate, aside of them, have
no religious basis. From the Islamic point of view, most
of them are pure nonsense.
1] It is related by
Anas that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, arrived
in Madinah, two special days were observed there for
feasting and celebration. On enquiry about these
festivals, he was told that the people of Madinah had
been celebrating them as occasions of social
entertainment since the days of Ignorance. The Prophet,
peace be upon him, thereupon, remarked, "God has
provided you with better festivals in their place, 'Idul
Fitr and 'Idul Adha."
- Abu Da'ud
2] Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to go
to the 'Id-gah on the days of 'Idul Fitr and 'Idul Adha.
First of all, he led the Prayer, and, after that stood
up facing the people for the sermon while the people
kept sitting in their rows. Then he preached to them,
advised them and gave orders to them, and if he wished
to send out an army or an expedition somewhere, he did
so (after the service and the sermon), and if he wanted
to give an order concerning a particular affair, he,
also, did that, and, then, he departed.
- Bukhari and Muslim
3] Jabir ibn Samura
relates that "I have offered prayers of the two 'Ids,
not once or twice but several times, with the Prophet,
peace be upon him, (and) always without Adhan and Iqamah."
- Muslim
4] It is related on
the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet, peace be
upon him, offered two ra'kahs of Prayer on the day of 'Idul
Fitr and he did not offer any Nafl before or after it.
- Bukhari and Muslim
5] It is related by
Abu Hurayrah that once it rained on the day of 'Id upon
which the Prophet, peace be upon him, led the 'Id prayer
in Masjid al-Nabawy (the Prophet's Mosque).
- Abu Da'ud and Ibn Majah
6] Buraidah narrates
that the custom of the Prophet, peace be upon him, was
to eat something before proceeding for Prayer on the day
of 'Idul Fitr but on the day of 'Idul Adha he refrained
from eating anything until he had celebrated the
service.
- Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and
Darimi
7] It is related by
'A'ishah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "On
the 10th of Dhil Hij, i.e. the day of 'Idul Adha, no act
of son of Adam is more pleasing to the Lord than
Sacrifice, and, on the Day of Judgement, the sacrificial
animal, will come with its horns and hooves, and the
blood of Sacrifice reaches the place of the propitiation
and good pleasure of God before it falls on the ground.
So, O slaves of God, perform Sacrifice with full
willingness of the heart."
- Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah
8] It is related on
the authority of Zaid ibn Arqam that some Companions
asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, what was the
history and significance of Sacrifice. Upon it, he,
peace be upon him, replied: "It is Sunnah of your
(spiritual) progenitor, Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
(i.e. first of all, it was enjoined upon him by God and
he used to perform it). (It has been commanded to me and
my followers, also, to emulate the example and act of
Sacrifice of Ibrahim, peace be upon him,)." The
Companions, then, said: "O Prophet! What is the
recompense for us on these offerings?" "A virtue in
return for every hair of the slaughtered animal",
replied the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Companions,
again, asked: "Does it apply to wool also (meaning will
the sacrificial offering of animals like sheep and camel
which have wool instead of hair fetch the reward in the
same proportion)? "Yes" replied the Prophet, peace be
upon him. "In the same proportion. A virtue in return
for every hair."
- Musnad Ahmad, and Ibn Majah
9] It is related by
Anas that "the Prophet, peace be upon him, sacrificed
two grey, horned rams. He slaughtered them with his own
hand, and, at the time of slaughter, recited Bismillah
wa Allahu Akbar. I saw that, at that time, he was
placing his right foot on their flanks and saying
Bismillah wa Allahu Akbar."
- Bukhari and Muslim
10] It is related by
Jabir that on the day of Sacrifice (i.e. 'Idul Adha) the
Prophet, peace be upon him, sacrificed two grey horned
rams. When he had set their faces in the right direction
(i.e. towards the Qibla), he recited the prayer: I have
set my face towards Allah, in the manner of Ibrahim, Who
hath created the heavens and the earth (and) detached
myself from all sides, and I am not of those who believe
in many gods. My Prayer and my worship and my sacrifice
and my living and my dying are for Allah alone, the Lord
of the Worlds. He is without a partner and to it have I
been commanded and I am of those who obey. O Allah! This
sacrifice is from Thee and by Thy favour and for Thy
sake (and) on behalf of Thy servant, Muhammad and his
followers. Bismillah wa Allahu Akbar. After reciting
this prayer the Prophet, peace be upon him, set agoing
the knife (on the throat of) the ram and slaughtered it.
(In the last part of another report referring to the
same incident it is told that after saying for Thy sake,
he slaughtered the ram with his own hand and recited:
Bismillah wa Allahu Akbar, O God, it is on my behalf and
on behalf of my followers who may not have performed the
Sacrifice.
- Musnad Ahmad, Abu Da'ud, Ibn
Majah, and Darimi
11] It is related by
Bar'a ibn 'Aazib that (once) it was enquired from the
Prophet, peace be upon him, what kind of animals should
be avoided in Sacrifice (i.e. what are the defects which
render an animal unfit for it). The Prophet, peace be
upon him, gestured with his hand and said: "Four (i.e.
there are four defects, the presence of any one of which
in an animal, makes it unsuitable for Sacrifice). (i) A
lame animal whose lameness is very much apparent (i.e.
which may be finding it difficult to move about owing to
the infirmity); (ii) An animal with a defective eye and
the defect is plainly visible; (iii) An animal which is
very sick; and (iv) An animal which is weak and thin."
- Muwatta', Musnad Ahmad,
Tirmidhi, Abu Da'ud, Nasai', Ibn Majah, and Darimi
12] It is related on
the authority of 'Ali that "the Prophet, peace be upon
him, forbade us against (performing) the Sacrifice of an
animal whose horn is broken or ear cropped."
- Ibn Majah
13] It is related by
Jabir that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The
sacrificial offering of a bullock or cow be made on
behalf of seven persons, and, in the same way of a camel
on behalf of seven persons."
- Muslim and Abu Da'ud
14] It is related by
Bara' ibn 'Aazib that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
delivered a sermon on the day of 'Idul Adha, I was in
the company of the Prophet, peace be upon him. As soon
as he had finished the Prayer, he noticed the meat of
the sacrificed animals. These animals had been
slaughtered before the conclusion of the 'Id prayer. The
Prophet, peace be upon him, remarked: "Those who have
performed the Sacrifice before offering Prayer should do
it again (since it has not been correct, being
before-time).'"
- Bukhari and Muslim
15] It is related by
Umm Salamah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"When the first 'Ashra (ten days) of Dhil Hij begins
(i.e. the moon of Dhil Hij is sighted) and anyone of you
intends to perform Sacrifice, he should not cut his hair
or nails till the Sacrifice is done."
- Muslim
Note:
The first 'Ashra (ten days) of Dhil Hij
is the 'Ashra (ten days) of the Haj which is the most
remarkable event of this period. But the Haj can be
performed only by going to Makkah, and it has been
enjoined only once in a lifetime, and, that too, upon
those who can afford the journey…. The Almighty has
mercifully made it possible for all the believers to
forge an identity, during the days of the Haj, with the
pilgrims and the pilgrimage, even while staying at home,
and participate in some of its rites. Herein, lies the
real significance of the Sacrifice of 'Idul Adha.
The pilgrims make sacrificial offerings to God at Mina
on the 10th of Dhil Hij, and the other Muslims who
cannot perform the Haj (pilgrimage) are commanded to
carry out the ritual wherever they be and as the
pilgrims do not cut their hair or nails after putting on
Ihram (pilgrim's robe), these Muslims, with a mind to
perform the Sacrifice, too, should refrain from it, and,
thus, produce a similarity and association between
themselves and the pilgrims.
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