Eid al-Adha, the eid following the hajj, is a major holiday in Morocco. Schools and businesses are closed. Everyone cleans house and redecorates according to their budgets. People save money all year if they have to, in order to sacrifice a sheep or even a cow.
I find that unlike in America, where the eid is often simply squeezed into a couple of hours to go to the mosque during a work day, the importance of the holiday here has given me time to reflect on the way that it is significant to me personally.
Our sacrifice of an animal reflect the test of Abraham, whom Allah allowed to sacrifice an animal instead of his son Ismail. So the first thing I found myself thinking about was death. Three sheep were sacrificed for various families on the roof of the house. I watched as they were killed, skinned and gutted. Each sheep was killed out of sight of the others so as not to alarm them. All unsuspecting of their own imminent deaths, they were like each of us human beings, who cannot foresee our own ends.
I thought about Allah, Who has the only power there is over our existence. There is no other power but His as we have to live each minute and to die without recourse.
I thought about work, for turning the animal from a living being into food is a time-consuming, difficult and messy business. People here spend a brief time in the morning in their new holiday duds and then change into work clothes as they work through all the steps that will end in having meat on the table.
After all the work is done, folks can relax for couple of days and go visit friends and family. They enjoy cakes, share laughter and give money to children. That is how Eid al-Adha is done in Morocco.
I find that unlike in America, where the eid is often simply squeezed into a couple of hours to go to the mosque during a work day, the importance of the holiday here has given me time to reflect on the way that it is significant to me personally.
Our sacrifice of an animal reflect the test of Abraham, whom Allah allowed to sacrifice an animal instead of his son Ismail. So the first thing I found myself thinking about was death. Three sheep were sacrificed for various families on the roof of the house. I watched as they were killed, skinned and gutted. Each sheep was killed out of sight of the others so as not to alarm them. All unsuspecting of their own imminent deaths, they were like each of us human beings, who cannot foresee our own ends.
I thought about Allah, Who has the only power there is over our existence. There is no other power but His as we have to live each minute and to die without recourse.
I thought about work, for turning the animal from a living being into food is a time-consuming, difficult and messy business. People here spend a brief time in the morning in their new holiday duds and then change into work clothes as they work through all the steps that will end in having meat on the table.
After all the work is done, folks can relax for couple of days and go visit friends and family. They enjoy cakes, share laughter and give money to children. That is how Eid al-Adha is done in Morocco.
i love this! i'm going to repost on facebook if that is ok. here in america we think we're doing good if we stay quiet during the khutba. lol!! they seem to observe the eid with a focus and an intensity that is inspiring. Alhumdullilah.
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