On the 26^th of October 2012, it was the Feast (or Eid ul Adha) symbolizing the culmination of the pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca (the Hajj).  These few days of light and love are supposed to characterise meditation, blessings and prayers for peace.

It also serves as a symbol of unity in diversity as Malcolm X wrote “…we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood…. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colours together, irrespective of their colour.”

Whilst for Muslims worldwide, Eid ul Adha is the second most important holiday in their calendar, for a select few who have the privilege of actually performing the hajj, it is the most spiritual  of journeys, answering the invitation from God to visit Makkah, and completing one of the essential pillars of Islam.  It is a journey that asks for God’s forgiveness, as the human being is stripped to its core representing the destruction of the inner demons and an equalization with one’s peers.

Pilgrims performing the hajj are in fact answering the prayers of Prophet Abraham and his son Prophet Ishmael (Peace Be Upon them Both), who built the Ka’abah (the House of God) and subsequently prayed to Him that His most beloved of followers (and believers) would come.

In the Qur’an, God orders Abraham (Peace Be Upon Him – PBUH) “…proclaim the pilgrimage to humankind, they will respond, coming to the sacred house on foot, riding every possible conveyance coming from every distant path.” (22:27). Those who come for the pilgrimage proclaim “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik – here I am at your service O Lord, here I am.”

The catalyst for this pilgrimage is Prophet Abraham (PBUH) who as the main inspiration and father of the lines of Prophets that brought the three world religions, means that the Eid ul Adha is not only significant for Muslims but should be symbolic for Christians and Jews as well which means that there is a lot of room to explore common grounds and commonalities.

As God says in the Qur’an “I am going to make you a leader for all of mankind to follow” (2:124), Abraham (PBUH) was not only a “nation” (16:120) by his own right, with his descendants including Isaac, Moses and Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Them All), he was also the ‘friend’ of God (4:125) due to his qualities of sacrifice, extraordinary faith, an uncompromising commitment to upholding the oneness of god and  righteousness.

This is the core of the three Abrahamic religions that derive their ethics and qualities from these attributes and thus should be a common talking point for not only inter-faith dialogue but more importantly for multi-faith action as the Qur’an says “Who could be of better faith than the one who surrenders utterly to God and is a doer of good and follows that faith of Abraham, the upright one?…” (4:125)

Abraham (PBUH) teaches us belief in the one God and urges the leading of an upright life.  He fought against the idols that sought to destroy society and its natural inclination to God and when the time came was willing to sacrifice his son (who in the Islamic teachings consented after being consulted by his father) in a joint act of submission to God.

The hajj allows us to re-enact his story and follow in the footsteps of his family, from the running of Hajar (between the mounts of Safa and Marwa) to the recommended  act of worship of performing a sacrifice of a sheep in remembrance  of the proposed  sacrifice.

Whilst there is a dispute in the different teachings about the identity of the son who was supposed to be sacrificed (and how things actually transpired), there is a more fundamental lesson for us to learn and that is in the willingness to give up that which is dearest and closest to us;  it is  whether we have the resolve and willpower necessary to achieve the higher spiritual goals deemed of us, understanding the common and ancient origin of our human roots which is about the worship of the One Creator and the same reality of what this life means, what we have to do and where we will end up.

This sacrifice symbolizing the sacrifice of your very closest and most beloved possession for the sake of the One to whom you will eventually return is the very essence of this celebration and ultimately our spiritual journey. The most difficult lesson to learn on this journey is to understand our destination.

For those of you who have read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the understanding of this destination is very simple: “Go; travel the world, look for the truth and the secret of life – every road will lead you to this sense of initiation: the secret is hidden in the place from which you set out.”

This is the apparent paradox of spiritual experience whereby the constant effort that we make to purify, to control and liberate our hearts is in the end, reconciliation with the deepest level of our being.  That spark that the Creator breathed into our heart is the spark of humility, the awareness of fragility, the consciousness of limitation, the shoulder of responsibility.

Thus in the quest of our journey, the question becomes, how much are we willing to sacrifice? At the heart of our consumer society, where materialism and individualism drive our daily lives, the question of the sacrifice reinforces our personal effort and commitment and invites us towards the deep horizons of introspection and meaning.  This in effect is the current analogy of what Abraham (PBUH) faced in terms of his fight.

We have a fight against modern and post modern consumerism and narcissism that does not take into account the beauty of human nature or the crushing debt and poverty faced by millions around the world and we must be prepared to sacrifice all that is dear to us in order to fight it.

Such is the meaning of profound spirituality requiring man to acquire a force of being and doing, rather than to undergo despotic relentlessness of a life reduced to mere instinct.  Within this space, we marry the purpose of our existence with the purpose of our subsistence.

That purpose in following Abraham’s footsteps is to serve humanity, those in need; those without! That purpose is to awaken our conscience in the proximity of the wounds and the injustices people face! That purpose is to move away from selfishness/greed and waste; to distance ourselves from the darkest dimensions of our being, our violence, our jealousies, our superficialities.  That purpose is to face our responsibilities with confidence and assurance

The blessed feast of Eid ul Adha thus should not become a feast of food as it is now commonly practised but a feast of the faith of fraternal atmosphere that is shared with all brothers and sisters in faith and humanity.  It should as we follow in the footsteps of Abraham (PBUH) become a rallying point to bring all members of his progeny together. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, the concept of a fraternal atmosphere has been denigrated to a single notion within the mindset of the Muslim community, who have gradually entrenched themselves into an ideological box.

This ideological comfort zone is an intellectual arrogance leading to an isolationist mentality and cultural ghetto–which world over, Muslim communities, especially those that live under minority situations, place themselves in.  This isolationist mentality imbibes an “us” vs “them” attitude and has meant that the Muslim community has always been worried about “us” rather than taking an all encompassing “we.”   This assumption of singularity is the weapon of sectarian activists who want people to ignore all affiliation and loyalties in support of one specific identity.  This is deeply delusive, divisive and is one that leads to social tension and violence for there is a sense of injustice and intolerance that is created from potential misunderstandings and misconceptions.

The hajj, and the symbolic teachings of the life of Abraham (PBUH), should help us to identify with others in different ways which is important in our role of living in society.  It should help us remember that we are much more than a label, that our plurality and diversity are not divisive elements but are a cause for celebration but within that celebration is an understanding of common humanity and universal principles.  This is the call for unity of the Muslim community and society as a whole that is made during this blessed journey.

The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said “You shall not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you cannot have faith until you love one another. Have compassion on those you can see, and He Whom you cannot see will have compassion on you.”

This is the Prophetic vision, fed down from Abraham (PBUH) which demonstrates how we must work, together, with others, with our neighbours. So a world which makes sense, is a world in which we connect with other people, beyond our immediate communities and experience, and show them compassion and love.

Through Abraham’s progeny in particular we are united by familial ties and the deep connection of our kinship.  This shared human experience gives us the opportunity to remember our original spiritual substance and to realign our moral compass.  We can either fight about our differences or remember that we are united in the singular conviction that Abraham (PBUH) held.

This is the shared message we share with our brothers and sisters of Abraham’s progeny: “…to serve humanity, those in need; those without… To awaken your conscience in the proximity of the wounds and the injustices people face…To move away from your heart, your bad thoughts…To distance yourself from the darkest dimensions of your being, your violence, your jealousies, your superficialities.”

To truly bask in the legacy of Abraham (PBUH), it is imperative not to lose our way by being driven blindly by traditional practices or by commercialization, and to come back to the very essence of the message of the respective faiths: respect and love of human beings as a manifestation of the love for the Almighty and to remember our responsibilities to humanity.

May the Almighty, who loves you, guide and protect you.  May there be peace and respite for all those who are suffering. May you spend time with your loved ones in an atmosphere of happiness; Happy Feast!!

Photo of pilgrims circumbulating the Kaabah in Makkah during the Hajj by Mohammed Mobarak; attribution via Flickr Commons.