Editorial
Celebrating Eid-ul-Azha
Uphold its spirit
EID-UL-AZHA, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated tomorrow. Prayers will be offered for world peace as well as prosperity of mankind. That's indeed one of the most remarkable aspects of any Muslim festival -- Divine blessings are sought and the solemnity of the occasion maintained in a joyous mood. Eid-ul-Azha revives the memory of Prophet Ibrahim's (Pbuh) faith in Allah and his complete readiness to sacrifice his dearest son as a token of surrendering himself to the divine wishes. That's where lies the message of Eid-ul-Azha. The Almighty, in His infinite kindness and being satisfied with the prophet's resolve, finally withdrew the decree and permitted him to sacrifice an animal. So, it was much more than an act of sacrificing an animal -- a triumph of belief in the Almighty's endless beneficence over any earthly possession.
The Eid is being observed in our country at a time when a huge number of people are still struggling to recover from the devastations caused by cyclone Sidr last month. Obviously, they are not in a position to celebrate Eid the way they would have liked to. So, it is our moral and religious obligation to share their grief and refrain from doing anything that would show a lack of sensitivity to these people. We fully echo the views expressed by Islamic scholars on the need for being austere when our fellow citizens are passing their days amid great uncertainty. We should also not forget the people in the northern region who have to grapple with severe cold-spells during this period of the year. If sacrifice is what this festival primarily revolves around, then the people in distress should be the prime beneficiaries of whatever we do on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
The affluent don't have to go through the trying conditions where people find it hard to manage two square meals a day, but they have social obligations to help alleviate their plight. The glory of Eid-ul-Azha doesn't lie in joining the race for buying pricey animals; rather it lies in how much one can offer to others as per the teachings of Islam.
We wish our readers a very happy Eid.
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