By Arsalan Iftikhar
Date Posted: December 19, 2007
For the first time in quite a while, all three major Abrahamic faiths will be celebrating major religious holidays this winter season. Like Christmas and Hanukkah, the Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), which starts tonight, annually commemorates the successful completion for nearly 3 million Muslims of their sacred pilgrimage called Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
From every crevice of the planet, millions of old Pakistani men, Indonesian toddlers, young American women, Syrian newlyweds, Sudanese mothers and Bosnian fathers perform a two-week emigration that culminates itself at the holiest shrine in the epicenter of the Muslim world. For those who are blessed enough to complete this lifelong pilgrimage, it is the spiritual zenith of their lifetime and is one of the largest regular human congregations on the face of the earth.
The ancient rites of Hajj have been passed down through the annals of Islamic history. It serves as a constant reminder of our human mortality and fallibility. The different rites of Hajj exemplify the plights of our beloved prophets. During Hajj, every Muslim’s focused aspirations must be to re-enact the experiences of the Prophet Abraham, whose selfless sacrifice has no parallel in the history of humankind. Hajj also symbolizes the lessons taught by Abraham’s son, Prophet Ishmael, whose example of obedience and submission cannot be duplicated by any living being; and Islam’s final prophet, Muhammad, who firmly stood on the plains of Arafat and proclaimed the completion of his mission and the equality of all humanity.
The simplest yet most profound message of Islam is the concept of equality of all mankind. In Islam, there is no superiority based on race, socioeconomic status or level of education. Islam teaches that a person only excels over another person in their piety. Truly, there is never more equality in the Muslim world than at Hajj. Princes and paupers, sultans and street sweepers, all covered in the traditional white garb, invoke the mercy of God as they stand side by side, equal and humbled in the eyes of their creator.
The closing of Hajj is culminated in the holiday celebration of Eid ul-Adha. This worldwide celebration commemorates the completion of the Hajj and more than 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide celebrate the successful Hajj pilgrimage with family dinners, gift exchanges and charity to the poor. As the pilgrims return from Hajj to all corners of the earth, their Muslim communities welcome them back with celebratory feasts and other holiday traditions.
As our Jewish brothers, Christian sisters and people of other faiths also celebrate their holiday seasons, this should be a time for all humanity to reflect on the sanctity of human life. We should use our reflections from the holiday season to continue to perform random acts of kindness. We should continue to hug our mothers, protect our waterways, reconcile centuries of hatred and continue to have beautiful babies. There is no better time to promote pluralism among people of different traditions than remembering the commonality of peace during this holiday season.
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Arsalan Iftikhar is contributing editor for Islamica magazine. www.diversityinc.com/public/2863.cfm?sd=33
