Jamaat al-Muslimeen's Eid Greetings
O Allah Help us to Sacrifice our Egos and Comfort
Help us to be with the Oppressed and against the Oppressors
a du'a from Kaukab Siddique
(Abraham prayed):
"O my Lord! grant me a righteous (son)!" So We gave him the good news of a forbearing son. Then, when the son reached the age of serious work with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen a dream that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view! " (The son) said: "O my father! Do as you are commanded (by Allah). You will find me, if Allah so wills, one of the steadfast." So when they had both submitted (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him, "O Abraham! You have already fulfilled the dream!"....... (The Qur'an 37:100-105)
Behind the mighty pilgrimage (2 million people every year) and the Festival of Eid, is this soul-wrenching story of a father and son willing to sacrifice what was dearest to them at the command of Allah. The sacrifices we carry out on the days of Eid are symbolic of the inner meaning of the story of Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be on them). In the background is also the story of our mother Hajira, the African woman who would not give up and was given the miracle of Zam Zam which can be seen even today. She was the founder of the holiest city of Islam, Makka. (For details see the Sahih of Bukhari.)
WHAT HAVE WE GIVEN? What have we sacrificed?
Those are the questions we must answer today.
Look at what we have: life, time, energy, knowledge, some wealth, sensibility, some understanding. Also, we are weak, used to comforts, immersed in ego, separated by nationalities and races. If we have not given and have not even dreamed of submitting to Allah's will like Ibrahim and Ismail, let's begin today.
Here are some sacrifices which must be made.
1. False pride in self ("i am better than you")
2. Racial pride (my race is better)
3. National pride (my country, right or wrong)
4. Class and geneology pride. (I am "upper class", Syed, Shaikh, etc.)
5. Gender pride (male is superior to female)
6. Other (fill in the one which you know better)
Let's replace these with the true sense of identity Allah gives us: I am a human being created by Allah. I submit to Allah alone and am therefore a Muslim.
Once we have done this sacrifice, it's easy to "distribute the meat", "feed the hungry", stand up against wrong and be with the oppressed.
WHOM SHOULD WE BE WITH:
Primarily with those who are facing Armies of Occupation:
1. Chechnya facing the Russians.
2. Kashmir facing the Indian occupation armies.
3. Palestine facing the Zionist occupation "State."
Secondly we must be with the people on whom sanctions have been imposed by a superpower and whose children thus face a major disaster:
1. Iraq
2. Sudan
3. Afghanistan
Thirdly, we must sacrifice a little time and energy to win the release of those who have been wrongly imprisoned, especially those who are resisting pressure to break them in prison. Among many others:
1. Shaikh Omar 'Abdel Rahman (blind, alone, cut off, almost buried alive).
2. Ahmad Ajaj.
3. Leonard Peltier
4. Jihad Abdul Mumit
5. Victor Alvarez.................(the list is long)
Let's distribute the "meat" (and other good things to):
Bangladesh, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia.
Let's pray for, and each within his/her means, support those who are fighting against tyranny in:
Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Serbia and other countries.
Finally, let's make ourselves aware of the racial tyranny in the USA, India and France and the secular tyranny against Muslim women in Turkey.
O Allah save us from being of those who wish be friends with the White House/FBI/Pentagon. Save from being of those who want to join the American power structure. Help us to be with the people, o Allah, and help us not to be misled by the satanic insinuations of the major media. (Ameen)
In this great worldwide struggle, we must take sides. We will be on the right side, inshallah, if we first, within ourselves, carry out the sacrifice of Ibrahim and Ismail, peace be on them, so that then we can follow the path of Muhammad and 'Ayesha (peace be on them).
2000-03-26 Sun 19:47ct