HAPPY EID

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

As-salamu aleykum wa rahmetullahi wa barakatu

I want to take this chance to be the first to wish you all a happy Eid-ul-Adha and may Allah bless you and your families, May Allah aid all the people of the world who are under oppression, who are suffering in illness, in poverty and in war...

The sacrifice that is offered by Muslims all over the world every year (at Eid-ul-Adha) is in commemoration of the supreme act and spirit of sacrifice offered by Prophet Abraham in lieu of his son Ismail (peace be upon them both).

In terms of beliefs, a Muslim must believe in all of the Prophets. This includes not just Prophet Ibrahim, but his sons Ismail, Ishaq, his grandson Yaqub and of course his descendant Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon them all).

Every day, five times a day, in virtually every time zone on this planet, Muslim ask Allah to send His blessings on Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) in the course of his/her prayer.

More importantly, the direction in which every Muslim must face when praying is towards a structure he built with his son Ismail:

"The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka (another name for Makkah); full of blessings and guidance for all kinds of beings: in it are signs manifest, the station of Abraham-whoever enters it attains security; pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to God-those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, God stands not in need of any of His creatures" (Quran 3:96-97).

When it comes to the five pillars of Islam (The pilgrimage ), the importance of Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) becomes even more evident...