In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
On the auspicious day of Eid al Adha, On behalf of The World Federation team across the globe, I would like to wish you and your families a very happy Eid Mubarak. May Allah (swt) shower His blessings in your lives . Ameen
Eid al Adha, “the festival of sacrifice”, marks the completion of Hajj. A day of celebration, contemplation and remembrance of the Prophets. The annual sacrifice (qurbani) of an animal on the day of Eid is a reminder of the great sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (as). He and his son Prophet Ismail (as) showed their willingness to sacrifice each and every thing for the sake of Allah (swt), and prepared to offer his own very beloved son as a sacrifice in total submission to the will Allah (swt). More significant is the immediate and unconditional submission and compliance to the will of Allah (swt) and his father.
This day of Eid is an opportunity for us to reflect upon the lessons of obedience, submission and servitude. As mentioned in the Holy Qu’ran the real philosophy and objective behind the Qurbani is:
It is not their flesh or their blood that reaches Allah. Rather it is your God wariness that reaches Him. Thus has He disposed them for your benefit so that you may magnify Allah for His guiding you. And give good news to the virtuous (22:37)
Eid ul-Adha starts with the glorification of Allah (swt) and its pinnacle is the sacrifice of an animal representing the total submission to the Creator. The physical sacrifice performed purifies us on a spiritual level. If one can overcome one’s Nafs al Ammarah and become truly humble before Allah (swt), detached of all material desires, one will understand the essence behind this celebration and can truly take the best out of this Eid.
As we celebrate this day of our own spiritual development, we must not forget our brothers and sisters across the globe who are going through hardship and challenging times. My appeal to all members of our community worldwide is to seek your valuable contribution and support which will benefit the poor and needy people across the globe who are crying for assistance. I urge you to participate in this cause which will assist in bringing a smile on their faces and in particular for the destitute who have been victims due to the recent floods in India and Pakistan and the Iraqis who are under constant attack from groups of terrorists.
Considering Eid as a unifying factor for all the Muslim ummah, I humbly request you to join me in raising our hands in dua to pray to The Almighty for our Muslim brethren’s and strive towards a peaceful co-existence in different parts of the world. We have got to prove by our deeds and actions that we mean no ill to anyone and we are all part of one humanity. Each one of us has first begin the change in themselves before we extend and urge others to change.
I also would like to update you on my recent trip to India which was a great success. I came to learn that our community members in Gujarat have done a lot of work for local communities behind the scenes. Of course, lot of works also has to be done. I could easily notice the enthusiasm, hope, excitement and work ahead in India. I predict a bright and prosperous future for this region. Besides few cities for Gujarat, I got an opportunity to visit Mumbai, Pune, Sangli, Bangalore, Alipur and Karimpur.
I take pride in notifying that the World Federation is embarking a new project on “Khoja Heritage” with the mission to collect, collate, document, preserve and promote the cultural heritage and legacy of our ancestors for posterity. I wish all the success to the relative team for their success in this assignment.
We also pray for the Hujjaj as they experience the amazing spiritual journey this year. May Allah (swt) accept all of our actions on this day to seek nearness to Him and may those who have gone for Hajj return back home safe and spiritually elevated. May each and every one of us be granted the opportunity to perform this divine obligatory act in submission to our Lord. Ameen.