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Hi kids!
Eid-ul-Azha or Baqr Eid, as it is most commonly known, is just two days from now. The air is full of the bleating and mooing of goats, sheep and cows. Children can be seen parading their sacrificial animals, often in groups, in the streets. Often there is a competition among them about whose animal is bigger, healthier and better looking. They spend time in grooming and decorating the animals and take care of them as if they were their pets, and will miss them after they have been sacrificed. I remember, a couple of years back, seeing a child crying bitterly, pleading his father not to sacrifice the goat which he had been tending to immensely and with great love and care for the past week. The poor father had no choice; he had bought the animal for the occasion and so had to sacrifice it no matter how much he wanted to grant his son’s wish. Perhaps that is true sacrifice — giving away your most precious thing in God’s way.
These animals are bought to be sacrificed in the memory of the great sacrifice made by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). God does not want the flesh or blood of these animals; what he sees is the intention (niyat) of the person making the sacrifice. It is not right to boast how expensive an animal is, or the number of animals a family is offering for sacrifice. Some people buy more than one animal only because their neighbour or a close relative has bought more or because they want to show off that they can afford to buy more.
You should also not insist on what or how many animals your parents should buy. If your neighbour or friends’ parents have bought more than one goat or a cow, and your parents have bought only one goat, there’s no need to feel low. This is not a competition or an occasion to show off. They would do what they can while staying within their means. Be content with what you have as the occasion teaches us sacrifice and self-control. Be happy and make others happy.
See you next week!
Eid Mubarak to you all!
Bye!
Ed
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