Eid al-Aḍḥā 2020
فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ
وَنَـٰدَيْنَـٰهُ أَن يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ
صَدَّقْتَ ٱلرُّءْيَآ ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
So when they had both submitted [to Allah’s will], and he had laid him down on his forehead,
We called out to him, ‘O Abraham!
You have indeed fulfilled the vision! Thus indeed do We reward the virtuous!
Q. Sūrat al-Ṣāfāt, 37:103-105
The Sacred Roots team wishes you and your family a beautiful and blessed Eid al-Aḍḥā!
As with every Eid, this Eid is a time for celebration and gathering with family and friends.
But, just as with Eid al-Fitr this past year, we have been tested with the presence of COVID-19. Many of us are struggling financially. Many of us are struggling spiritually and emotionally—the effects of being distant from loved ones and friends and of an uncertain future. We have witnessed the strange images of an almost empty and clinical Hajj in Makkah.
But, in a sense, we are witnessing an instance of the deeper meaning of this Eid - the honor of patience and sacrifice. We honor the legacy of Prophet Abraham - Nabī Ibrahīm - on Eid al-Aḍḥā. He was tested with the command to sacrifice his son as a sign of his devotion to God.
37:103. So when they had both submitted [to God’s will], and he had laid him down on his forehead, 104. We called out to him, ‘O Abraham! You have indeed fulfilled the vision! 105. Thus indeed do We reward the virtuous!
He followed through, with his son’s assent, and due to their deep devotion, his son was saved and a ram was slaughtered in his son’s stead.
His entire life was a life of trial and tribulation paired with a response of patience and thankfulness to his lord. He embodied the following verses of the Qurʾan.
2:155. We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient 156.—those who, when an affliction visits them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return.’ 157. It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and [His] mercy, and it is they who are the [rightly] guided.
So, congratulations! We have been honored to commemorate another day celebrating the legacy of Abraham! Give out sweets, call friends and family, celebrate!
And let us also commit to shaping our lives in the mold of Abraham’s. Let us struggle for Truth and Justice and find balance even as the world seems increasingly confusing.
Today, let us examine our friendship with our Lord – we celebrate the legacy of Abraham, the Friend of God (Khalīl Allāh), but where do we stand with God?
And today, let us make a commitment to compassion. On this day, many people pay to have cattle slaughtered and its meat given to the poor. Let us keep the spirit of compassion alive throughout the year. Give to those struggling financially. Strengthen your friendships. Be an ear for those struggling emotionally. Call the elderly. Hug your children.
Q. 11:75. Abraham was indeed most forbearing, plaintive, [and] penitent.
We ask God to protect everyone’s health and well being. We hope to be able to commune with you all in person one day soon. And we pray that we, as a community, can fulfill the Abrahamic Legacy,
The Sacred Roots Team
