بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

رسالة العيد من مجلس العلماء النيوزيلندي

Eid-ul-Adha Message from Ulama Council of New Zealand

الحمد لله رب العالمين، و الصلاة و السلام على سيد الأنبياء و إمام المرسلين نبينا محمد و على آله و أصحابه أجمعين. و بعد

We thank Allah SWT for His favours and blessings in enabling us to witness and celebrate the great Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Adha. In fact, we are not just marking a day, we are marking a season, and enjoying its blessings in many ways.

This is the season of Hajj when millions of His servants toil through all the challenges of a unique voyage to be guests of Allah and, having followed in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Companions RAA, return as free of sins as a newborn – a once in a lifetime life-changing experience indeed.

Hajj is based on marking the achievements of Saiyedina Ibraheem ASWS who was put through extraordinary trials and, having made the ultimate sacrifice, passed the test and won the pleasure of Allah.  He sought One True God and found Him, he found light in the darkness and earned titles such as Khaleelullah (Friend of Allah) and Abul-ambiyaa (Father of the Prophets) alaihemussalatu wassalam.

This season marks his extraordinary trials and tribulations leading to the ultimate success.  It marks his search, his methods, his travels, his faith, his trust, his submission, and his ultimate sacrifice.

Allah SWT accepted his ways and granted him what he was looking for.  Today, we mimic him and sacrifice an animal to mark that illuminating moment in the history of the world.  We not only mark the offering as Saiyedina Ibraheem ASWS offered but we also mark the offering as his beloved son and Prophet Saiyedina Ismaaeel ASWS offered – one was willing to take a life and the other was willing to give it.

Today, out of His Mercy, Allah SWT accepts the offering of a life of an animal and then, out of more Mercy, allows us to eat from it and share with our family and friends.

In marking this occasion, Muslims should be aware of the spirit and, where possible, sacrifice an animal themselves in order to experience more closely the spirit of this occasion.  It is unfortunate that many people do not pay much attention to this important Islamic ritual and do not observe the sacrifice while they can efford it.  This way they deprive themselves and their family from the great Sunnah of the Prophet S.A.W. which he has never missed and issued a severe warning against those who neglect it.

من وجد سعة ولم يضحي فلا يقربن مصلانا

Whoever can afford to offer a sacrifice but does not do so, let him not approach our place of Eid prayer.” (Musnad Ahmad).

Instead, many people wrongly attempt to do other good deeds in lieu of udhiya, such as charity, but this is completely wrong.  Just as you can not perform salat in lieu of fasting or zakat in lieu of Hajj, you can not perform other kinds of worship in lieu of udhiya.  Udhiya is a ‘she’aar’ of Islam which means something that forms a part of its identity.

This blessed season marks many things.  There are those who are fortunate enough go on Hajj, those who do not go on Hajj mark udhiya wherever they live, and even those who are so poor that they cannot afford to buy an animal for this can still mark and benefit from the first ten days of this month referred to in the Quran as ‘layaalin Ashr’  by the way of fasting and performing other good deeds.

On this happy occasion The Ulama Council of New Zealand would like to extend their warmest and heartfelt greetings to all Muslims, And wish you a very happy and blessed Eid ul Adha.

We beseech Allah SWT to accept our Udhiya, accept the Hajj of all who have gone for it and all our good deeds, and forgive the shortcomings, (Ameen).

و صلى الله و سلم على نبينا محمد و على آله و صحبه أجمعين