The Day of Eid al-Adha
And what will make you know what the Day of Eid al-Adha is?
All praise is due to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions.
Definition:
It is the tenth day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, which is the twelfth month of the Arabic (Hijri) calendar.
Its Names:
This great and blessed day has more than one name, by which Allah the Almighty and our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), called it. Among them are:
Firstly: Yawm al-Hajj al-Akbar (The Day of the Greater Pilgrimage):
Allah the Almighty named it by this name, saying (what means): "And [it is] an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage" (At-Tawbah: 3). And by this name, our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), called it. In Al-Bukhari, from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "(This is the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage)" [1]. This day was named the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage because most of the main rituals of Hajj are performed on it.
Secondly: Yawm al-Nahr (The Day of Sacrifice):
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), called it by this name when Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him about the meaning of the Greater Pilgrimage, and he informed him that it is the Day of Sacrifice. Al-Tirmidhi narrated with his chain from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage, and he said: '(The Day of Sacrifice)'" [2].
The reason for naming it by this name is that the most important acts and acts of worship on it are the slaughtering of sacrifices. In the Hadith from Aisha, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "No human deed on the Day of Sacrifice is more beloved to Allah than the shedding of blood. It will come on the Day of Resurrection with its horns, hair, and hooves, and indeed, the blood falls in a place of acceptance with Allah before it falls on the ground. So, be good at heart about it." [3].
The Wisdom Behind the Blessed Eid al-Adha:
There is much wisdom that appears to us on this great and blessed day, among which are:
1-Gratitude and praise to Allah the Almighty for His blessings; foremost among them is the blessing of faith (Iman) and Islam, then the blessing of completing the Hajj for those who performed the obligation, and the blessing of health and safety, then the blessing of wealth. Allah the Almighty says (what means): "And whatever blessing you have - it is from Allah." (An-Nahl: 53).
2-It revives the story of the Prophet of Allah Ibrahim and his son Ismail (peace be upon them both), and what it contains of Ibrahim's obedience to his Lord, the Almighty, and Ismail's obedience to his father in their submission to Allah's command, and what occurred therein of sacrifice and Allah's ransom for him with a mighty ram. As Allah the Almighty said on the tongue of Ibrahim (peace be upon him): "So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy. And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast." And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, We called to him, "O Abraham, You have fulfilled the vision." Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, this was the clear trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.}" (As-Saffat: 101-107).
3-Drawing closer to Allah the Almighty through slaughter and sacrifice, in compliance with His command, as this act involves glorifying His rituals. In this regard, Allah the Almighty says (what means): "That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts." (Al-Hajj: 32).
4-Strengthening bonds of love in the Muslim community through communication with family, relatives, and neighbors, and giving them portions of the sacrifice, and enhancing the spirit of social solidarity by helping the poor and needy, and bringing joy to their hearts.
5-Spreading cheer, joy, and happiness among Muslims through Takbir (magnifying Allah), Dhikr (remembrance), and glorifying the rituals of Allah the Almighty, as well as adorning oneself with new clothes and using perfume. Ending disputes among Muslims and spreading tolerance by purifying souls from grudges and animosities, and strengthening the unity and cohesion of the Islamic Ummah.
6-Teaching the values of sacrifice and redemption by establishing the principle of prioritizing the love of Allah over the love of self, family, and wealth, and instilling the concept of giving and generosity in the souls of Muslims.
7-Reviving the Sunnah of our Master, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), following his guidance in sacrifice, and emulating his Sunnah in dividing the sacrificial meat into parts for eating, gifting, and charity.
The Virtue of This Day:
-The Day of Sacrifice is the best and greatest of days in the sight of Allah the Almighty. From Abdullah ibn Qurt, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The best of days with Allah is the Day of Sacrifice, then the Day of Qar (settling down)." [4] In another narration: "The greatest of days with Allah is the Day of Sacrifice, then the Day of Qar." [5] [6].
-It is one of the days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, which is among the Sacred Months (Ash-hur al-Hurum) that Allah the Almighty has glorified by saying: "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the Register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them." (At-Tawbah: 36). The Sacred Months are (Muharram, Dhul-Qi'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Rajab).
-It is one of the days by which Allah the Almighty swore, saying (what means): "By the even and the odd" (Al-Fajr: 3). Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Even is the Day of Sacrifice, and the Odd is the Day of Arafah." [7].
-It is one of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, which are the best days of the year in the sight of Allah the Almighty in terms of great reward; as our Master, the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: "No deeds are better than those done on these (first ten) days of Dhul-Hijjah." They asked: "Not even Jihad?" He said: "Not even Jihad, except for a man who goes out endangering himself and his wealth and returns with nothing." [8].
-It is among the glories and Eids of the Muslims; as our Master, the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: "The Day of Arafah, the Day of Sacrifice, and the Days of Tashreeq are our Eid, the people of Islam, and they are days of eating and drinking." [9]. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade fasting on it. In the Hadith from Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbid fasting on these two days: As for Eid al-Fitr, it is your breaking of your fast and a celebration for Muslims, and as for Eid al-Adha, eat from the meat of your sacrifices." [10].
-Some might find it difficult to reconcile the narrations from our Master, the Prophet (peace be upon him), where he described the Day of Arafah as the best day with Allah the Almighty, and also described the Day of Sacrifice as the best day with Allah the Almighty. How do we reconcile them? We reconcile them by saying: The Day of Arafah is the best and greatest of days with Allah the Almighty in terms of forgiveness of sins, especially major ones, as our Master, the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: "There is no day better in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah. Allah descends to the lowest heaven and boasts to the inhabitants of heaven about the inhabitants of the earth, saying: 'Look at My servants, disheveled and dusty, coming from every deep valley, hoping for My mercy, and they have not seen My punishment.' No day has more people freed from the Fire than the Day of Arafah." [11] And our Master, the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: "Satan has not been seen on any day more humiliated, despised, abased, or enraged than on the Day of Arafah. And that is only because of what he saw of the descent of mercy and Allah's overlooking of grave sins, except for what he was shown on the Day of Badr." It was asked: "What did he see on the Day of Badr, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Indeed, he saw Jibreel arranging the angels." [12]. The Day of Sacrifice is the best and greatest of days with Allah the Almighty for acquiring good deeds and elevating ranks with Him. After a Muslim purifies himself on the Day of Arafah and rids himself of evil deeds, he turns to Allah the Almighty with great acts of worship such as sacrifice – drawing closer to Allah the Almighty – and supplication, remembrance, prayer, and other deeds. Thus, for the Muslim, the Day of Arafah is a day of Takhliyah (Cleansing the soul of vices, bad morals, and blameworthy traits), and the Day of Sacrifice is a day of Tahliyah (Adorning the soul with virtues, noble character, and righteous behavior). This is Allah's favor, which He grants to whom He wills.
Actions on the Blessed Eid al-Adha:
There are many acts of worship that a Muslim can perform on the blessed Day of Eid al-Adha to draw closer to Allah the Almighty. They can be divided into two categories:
Firstly: Acts of worship performed by the pilgrim (Hajj) to the Sacred House of Allah, which are [13]:
-On its eve, there is staying overnight in Muzdalifah, and continuous remembrance of Allah and supplication after Fajr prayer until sunrise.
-On it, the pilgrim stones Jamrat al-Aqabah Al-kubra.
-Upon beginning the stoning, the Talbiyah is ceased, and Takbir (magnifying Allah) begins, thus combining both Talbiyah and Takbir, which are two great rituals.
-On it, sacrifices (Adahi) and offerings (Hadaya) are slaughtered to draw closer to Allah the Almighty.
On it, the pilgrim shaves his head and exits the state of Ihram.-
-On it, the pilgrim performs Tawaf al-Ifadah or al-Ziyarah (the circumambulation of returning).
-And on it, he performs Sa'i between Safa and Marwah.
The wisdom behind the convergence of these actions on this great day appears in matters of utmost importance: the manifestation of Tawhid (Oneness of Allah) and servitude to Allah alone, following the example of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), reminding the Muslim of the Day of Judgment, and enhancing the spirit of piety and sincerity in the soul of the pilgrim.
Secondly: Acts of worship performed by non-pilgrims, which are:
-On this great day, a Muslim performs the blessed Eid al-Adha prayer and attends the Eid sermon.
-Absolute and restricted Takbir after every prayer, which is a great ritual of Islam [14].
-Slaughtering sacrifices (Adahi) to draw closer to Allah the Almighty and to provide for one's household, which is a Sunnah for those who are able [15].
-Increasing supplication, remembrance (Dhikr), and charity (Sadaqah).
-Being keen on increasing dutifulness to parents, maintaining kinship ties, visiting Muslims and congratulating them on Eid, and avoiding disobedience to parents, severing kinship ties, and quarreling with Muslims.
In conclusion, I ask Allah the Almighty to grant us all success in obeying Him and attaining His pleasure, and to make us among those accepted by Him, the Exalted.
References:
[1] - Narrated by Al-Bukhari: Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. /1742.
[2] - Al-Tirmidhi: Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. /957.
[3] - Al-Tirmidhi: Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. /1493.
[4] - Al-Bayhaqi: As-Sunan al-Kubra, Hadith No. /10214.
[5] - Yawm al-Qar is the first day of Ayyam al-Tashreeq, named so because pilgrims settle down in Mina on it.
[6] - Hanbal: Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. /19075.
[7] - Al-Tabari: Jami' al-Bayan, 24/397.
[8] - Narrated by Al-Bukhari: Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. /969.
[9] - Al-Tirmidhi: Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. /773.
[10] - Al-Tirmidhi: Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. /771.
[11] - Ibn Hibban: Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith No. /3853.
[12] - Malik: Muwatta Imam Malik, Hadith No. /1597.
[13] - Al-Shirbini: Mughni al-Muhtaj (2/266) and subsequent pages.
[14] - Al-Ramli: Nihayat al-Muhtaj (2/398).
[15] - Al-Haytami: Tuhfat al-Muhtaj (9/344).
