Charitable lessons of Eid el-Kabir
Today Thursday September 24, 2015 being the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah 1436 AH in the Islamic calendar is observed by Muslims in Nigeria and other parts of the world as Eid el-Kabir. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar had earlier announced that Tuesday […]
Today Thursday September 24, 2015 being the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah 1436 AH in the Islamic calendar is observed by Muslims in Nigeria and other parts of the world as Eid el-Kabir. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar had earlier announced that Tuesday September 15, 2015 was 1st Dhul-Hijjah 1436 AH. Yesterday was Arafat day when millions of pilgrims converged at the plain of Mount Arafat in Mecca to mark the climax of the hajj rites.
Eid el-Kabir is an annual Islamic event during which Muslims offer animal sacrifices. Muslims celebrate Eid el-Kabir to commemorate the initial sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim who, according to scriptures, saw a vision in which he was divinely commanded by God to offer his only son, then, as sacrifice. The son, Ismail, consented to the wish of his father as well as to God’s command. When Ibrahim laid his son prostate on his forehead in readiness for the sacrifice, divine intervention ransomed him with a ram. Besides being a reflection of genuine patience on the part of Prophet Ibrahim and submission on Ismail’s part who both offered to suffer self-sacrifice in order to obey God’s command; it is also a lesson to all in self-sacrifice. Since this event, it became a rite for Muslims who possess the means to offer sacrifices, annually, on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah.
Sincere sacrifice as symbolized by Ismail begins with obedience to divine laws and to the commands of those charged with authority in the community. Therefore, obedience to God, parents and constituted authorities is an expression of, and indeed, a sure path to genuine sacrifices. However, service to humanity does not end with submission to the will and command of God; it equally entails any sacrifices a man could offer for the development of the society. Providing credible leadership through selfless service for the benefit of one’s people and community is, in truth, part of true sacrifice.
Leadership with modesty, transparent honesty, justice, and an altruistic sense of responsibility, is fundamental to any sincere sacrifices; a virtue that is generally lacking today among many leaders and public office holders in Nigeria. This, therefore, makes the lessons of this religious duty of sacrifice just as relevant in contemporary times. Leaders, whether elected or appointed, should imbibe the courteous, gracious and obliging kind of submission exhibited by Ismail in order to inspire those they lead to make patriotic sacrifices including paying the supreme price which Ismail was prepared to make; to bring Nigeria out of the mess in to which bad governance has plunged it in the recent past.
As required by the teachings of Islam, Muslims who are able to make animal sacrifices on the occasion of the Eid el-Kabir festival are encouraged to extend their generous hands of alms to their neighbours and other members of their immediate community especially the less-privileged. The activities that usually characterise this festive period including feasts and exchange of visits should be explored to further unite us together as well as inspire us to forgive ourselves of past mistakes.
While we encourage Nigerians on this special occasion of our spiritual life to support the new administration in the country in all its laudable initiatives including leading the country back to its past glory of a nation where the basic rights of Nigerians are equally guaranteed without any prejudices, we cheer government to remain committed and focused in its strong resolve to defeat insurgency, kill the deep-seated corruption and end the culture of impunity in our national life.
While thanking God for His mercies as obvious in our remaining together as a country, we urge Muslims to use this period of spiritual sacrifices to pray for Nigerian leaders at all structures of government to be imbued with the wisdom and the capacity needed to bring about good governance.