Eidul Adha

It's Eidul-Adha (عيد الأضحى) tomorrow. For us Muslims, it is one of the two Eids celebrated in a year. However, for Malaysians, it isn't celebrated as grand as Eidul Fitr.

In actual fact, Eidul-Adha is a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail for Allah. For those who are not familiar with Islam, Allah replaced Ibrahim's son with livestock instead (no, Ismail didn't die). The celebration is felt more by those who perform their hajj to Mecca as it marks the end of the long ibadah.

Even though Eidul-Fitr is celebrated for three days, Malaysians celebrate it for a month. Why? Because they give the excuse that they have fasted for a month during Ramadhan! Such a lame excuse (some women demand to have enough clothes for the month-long celebration), but not a bad one to use for visiting relatives and friends. Eidul-Adha, on the other hand, is four days long. In Malaysia, it's hardly celebrated for even a day - except for those in the East Coast. Everyone is expected to dress their best and perform the prayers together. However, in the UK, the women aren't allowed to go to the mosque.

I'm beginning to feel like I'm giving a critique of the two celebrations and how they are celebrated in the UK and Malaysia. I'm just reflecting on how people perceive a certain celebration. I personally think that if a celebration has religious connotations, then it should be paid close attention. The commercial world spoils so much of it. Our tradition can ruin the beauty of our ibadah as well.

On a brighter note, HAPPY EIDUL ADHA for all Muslims worldwide, no matter where you are: Malaysia, UK, China, Russia, Ireland, Mecca, Africa, India, etc. We should take some time to reflect on the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, obeying Allah's orders. Are we willing to sacrifice a little bit of what we have? Say, our family, friendship, money, sleep, or even time?? hmmmm.... I've got some serious thinking to do.