An Invitation to Eid Al-Adha

ON THE tenth day of the Islamic month Dhul-Hijjah, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, The Festival of the Sacrifice.  This celebration follows the traditional time of hajj, the pilgrimage to Meccah, the holiest city of Islam and located in Saudi Arabia.  Every Muslim who is financially and physically able is expected to make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime.  Whether or not a Muslim physically undertakes the hajj, however, the spirit of hajj leads the soul on a journey of renewed commitment to the God of Abraham.  It is in commemoration of Abraham’s willingness to obey God that Eid al-Adha is observed.

According to the Qur’an, God tested Abraham’s obedience by commanding him in a vision to sacrifice his son.  Both Abraham and his son submitted to God’s will, but just as the sacrifice was about to be executed, a divine voice called out, “O Abraham, you have already fulfilled the vision,” and a lamb was provided for the sacrifice as the son’s life was spared.  As Muslims observe the significance of this event in terms of commitment, obedience, and self-sacrifice, each Muslim sacrifices (literally or in the form of a purchase) a lamb or other animal and donates one third of the meat to the poor, gives one third to friends and relatives, and keeps one third for the personal household.

The Biblical version of Abraham’s test is similar to the Qur’anic version, and the Talmud (the Jewish book of rabbinic writings) garnishes the message of sacrifice.  According to the Talmud, the wicked angel Samael taunted Abraham and warned him that, after the sacrifice, God would accuse Abraham of murder.  “Even so,” Abraham answered, “I must obey.”  Frustrated with Abraham, Samael went to Abraham’s son and said, “Son of an unhappy mother, your father is going to slay you.”  And the son also agreed, “Nevertheless, I must submit.”  The akedah motif, the sacrificial lamb’s horns caught in the bush, has become a symbol of Jewish martyrdom and self-sacrifice, and Abraham’s willingness to serve God at any cost is an important part of the celebrations of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

The story of Abraham and his son is also important to Christians as the ministry of Jesus is interpreted as a reflection of the Abrahamic story of sacrifice.  Jesus is called “the Lamb” whose physical being was sacrificed for the atonement of sins.  Following the Jewish tradition of a sin sacrifice in which the death of an animal –the pitiful moans, the profusion of blood, and the gaunt stare of death— is a reminder of humanity’s sins and our constant need of repentance, Christians believe that the blood of Jesus on the cross was of such value that it paid the sin sacrifice in full for all people.  The Christian Bible states that Jesus was enabled to lay down his life physically, but that he remained alive spiritually.  This is consonant with the Qur’anic passage that simply states that the crucifixion did not kill Jesus, who, says the Qur’an, was “a spirit emanating from God,” but that he was raised up to Heaven as a living being.

The altar of Abraham is a consonant and integral part of the three great religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  The fact that Jews and Christians believe that Abraham’s sacrificial son was Isaac whereas Muslims believe the son to be Ishmael should be seen as a sign of personal connection to the Abrahamic story rather than a point of divisiveness.  As Jews trace their connection to Abraham through Isaac and Arabs trace their connection through Ishmael, each racial and ethnic group can find a unique link as we all approach the altar of Abraham with a commitment of personal sacrifice for the common cause of peace and goodwill.  Persons of all religions and of no religion are invited to Eid al-Adha as we each make a spiritual journey of the heart to greet the ghost image of a metaphorical ancestral child laid upon the altar of humanity.  Whether you refer to Allah, Adonai, Abba, the Great Spirit, the Universal Mind, or even the Ultimate Computer, or a variety of other titles, there is a power that links us all in a circle of life, and it is up to each individual to find the personal sacrifice that is his or her contribution to this great experiment called ‘humanity.’