Tolerance: Eid al-Adha, (Feast of Sacrifice)

"O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!" So We gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old enough to walk and work with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now see what is your view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah wills, you will find me one practising patience and steadfastness!" So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, We called out to him saying: O Ibraheem! You have indeed fulfilled the vision; surely thus do We reward those who do good. Most surely this was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations. "Peace and salutation to Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. Surely he was one of Our believing servants.

 

                                                                                                                The Quran

 

On October 15^th, Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice is celebrated by the Muslim community.  It is the most important feast of the Muslim calendar as it concludes the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca and the holy month of Ramadan.  Lasting 3 days, it commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son on God’s order.  It is also a commemoration of accomplishment.  Ibrahim is known as Abraham in the Jewish and Christian faiths.

I want to take a moment to clear up a misconception that is making the rounds through e-mail concerning Islam.  Of course, we are all aware that you can believe everything that circulates through your computer, right?  This particular gem praises Christians for all the good thing they do in America and then turn into hate mail as tit begins slamming the American Islamic community for doing nothing.
 

Perpetrators of such hate mail will never do their homework prior to sending this drivel forward, it is up to the rest of us not to take it as fact.  Hell, it isn’t even a good rumor.
 

I have it on good authority that, after hurricane Katrina, Qatar sent millions in aid to assist rebuilding the gulf coast.  The U.S. government has issued postage stamps commemorating Eid al-Adha as a way to highlight the business, educational and social contributions Muslims have made in the United States.  I am sure there are numerous other specific instances to be referenced, but I will leave that to your own due diligence.  For now, let’s get back to the Feast of Sacrifice.

In the United States Eid al-Adha is celebrated with prayer and social gatherings that can attract thousands.

Take a moment to cruise the net and learn something about the diverse cultures that make up our country.  What you learn may surprise you.