30. ‘ĪD AL-AD.H.Ā

اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر (9 مرات)
اللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ
الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِيْ جَعَلَ الْيَوْمَ عِيْدًا لِلِمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَ جَعَلَ عِبَادَةَ الْحَجِّ وَعِيْدَ الأضْحَى مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ وَإحْيَائِهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى ْ اْلقُلُوْبِ.
أَْشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إلَهَ إلاّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَ أَشْهَدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ اْلمَبْعُوْثُ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِيْنَ بَشِيْرًا وَ نَذِيْرًا وَ دَاعِيَا إلىَ اللهِ وَ سِرَاجًا مٌُنِيْرًا.
أمَّا بَعْدُ, أُوْصِيْكُمْ وَ إيَّايَ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ فَقَدْ فَازَ الْمُتَّقُوْن.
أَعُوْذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ . بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ . وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

Brothers and sisters in Islam
Today we are celebrating ‘Īd al-Ad.h.ā, the Feast of Sacrifice. Two important events occur on this day. The fist is that Muslims in various parts of the world are performing their pilgrimage a Mecca. It is an international convention for mankind where over two million people get together in one place at one time once a year. They come irrespective of their colour, nationality, social status or language. It is a journey where you can see your brothers and sisters in faith coming from every corner of the world. It is the most significant journey for a Muslim, as Qbū Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said:
الْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلَّا الْجَنَّةُ
(رواه أحمد و البيهقي و الطبراني)
“The reward of accepted pilgrimage
is nothing but Paradise.”

Pilgrimage is a kind of jihād. A tradition runs as follows:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُرَى الْجِهَادَ أَفْضَلَ الْعَمَلِ أَفَلَا نُجَاهِدُ
قَالَ لَكِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الْجِهَادِ حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ
(رواه البخاري و البيهقي)
“‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
said: I said ‘O Messenger of Allah, since jihād
is the best work, why don’t we (women) go for
the jihād?’ He replied: ‘But the best
jihad is doing the pilgrimage’”

The second event is that Muslims all over the world go to the mosque or the field to perform the ‘Id al-Adha prayer and listen to the khut.bah (sermon).
اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر
When Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm, p.b.u.h.) became old and still had no son, his wife Sarah permitted him to marry his servant Hajar. From Hajar, Ishmael (Ismā‘īl) was born. The Old Testament said that Abraham was 86 years old at that time. Fourteen years later, Isaac (Ish.āq) was born from Sarah. Before Isaac was born Allah had ordered Prophet Abraham through a dream to sacrifice his only son Ishmael. It is mentioned in the Qur’ān as follows:

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى
فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ
مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ. فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ. وَنَادَيْنَاهُ
أَنْ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ. قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ.
إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاءُ الْمُبِينُ. وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ
(الصافات: ۲٠‍۱ ‌- ۱٠٧)
“Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work
with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I
offer thee in sacrifice: now see what is thy view!’ (The son) said:
‘O my father! Do as thou art commanded: Thou 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! Thou hast already fulfilled the
dream! Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For
this was a clear trial—and We ransomed him
with a momentous sacrifice.”

Satan had tried to persuade Prophet Abraham to disobey Allah, not to sacrifice his son, but Prophet Abraham was firm in his decision to obey Allah. He threw stones at Satan. Following this example of not listening to Satan and obeying Allah completely, even to sacrifice one’s own son, Muslims at Mina threw pebbles at stones symbolizing Satan in three places where Satan appeared to Prophet Abraham.

This is the Qur’ānic version which we believe. The other version is that of the Old Testament. In Genesis 16:16 it is said: “And Abraham was fourscore and six years (namely, 86 years) old when Hajar bare Ishmael to Abraham.” In the Genesis 21:5 it is said “And Abraham was an hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him.” This is comfirmed with Genesis 17:24-25 in which it is stated that Ishmael was thirteen years old when Abraham was ninety-nine. Notice the difference between those two verses: In the first verse it is mentioned “Hajar bare Ishmael to him,” namely his son through implication, not explicitly, while in the other verse it is said ”his son Isaac was born” where Isaac is mentioned explicitly the son of Abraham. From these two Biblical verses we also learn that Ishmael was fourteen years older than his younger brother Isaac. But Genesis chapter 22 that mentions this story said in verse as follows: ‘[God told Abraham]: Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into land of Moriah.” This verse implies, either Prophet Abraham had one son only (Isaac) whom he loved, which is contradictory to the previous verse, or he had another son (Ishmael) but he loved Isaac only, an attitude which should not ‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍be attributed to a great prophet of Allah who was a model to his people. Moreover, Ishmael was the answer of Prophet Abraham’s prayer for a son. He prayed:
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ. فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِيمٍ
(الصافات :‍‍۱٠٠ -۱٠۱)
“O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son).
So We gave him the good new
of a forbearing son.”

It is unthinkable that a chosen person like Prophet Abraham did not love his righteous and forbearing son Ishmael. He took his baby Ishmael and wife Hajar to the valley of Mecca, not because he did not love them, but because it was the command of Allah.
Prophet Abraham showed his happiness and gratitude to Allah for having two sons, as mentioned in the Qur’ān,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ
وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
(إبراهيم : ٣٩)
. “Praise be to Allah, Who hath granted
unto me in old age Isma‘il and Isaac: for truly my
Lord is He, the Hearer of prayer.”

He also prayed for himself and his offspring, as follows
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ
(إبراهيم : ٤٠)
“O my Lord! Make me one who establishes regular
prayer, and also (raise such) among my offspring.
O my Lord! And accept my prayer.”
In Mecca Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael built the foundation of the Ka‘bah. Allah says:
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا
إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ. رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً
لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ. رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ
فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آَيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ
وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
(البقرة : ۱۲٧‌-۱۲٩)
“And remember Abraham and Isma‘il raised
the foundations of the House (with this prayer): ‘O our Lord!
Accept (this service) from us: for Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-
Knowing. Our Lord! Make of us Muslims, bowing to Thy (will), and
of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (will); and show
us our places for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us
(in mercy); for Thou art the Oft-Relenting, Most Merciful. Our
Lord! Send amongst them a messenger of their own, who
shall rehearse Thy signs to them and instruct them in
scripture and wisdom, and purify them: for
Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”

This prayer was accepted with the advent of Prophet Muhammad who said, as narrated by Abū Ummamah,
دَعْوَةُ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبُشْرَى عِيسَى (رواه أحمد و البيهقي و الطبراني)
“(I am the answer of) the prayer of my forefather
Abraham and the good tidying of Jesus”
Unlike the Qur’ānic version where Prophet Abraham told his son Ishmael about his dream and, Genesis chapter 22 says that Abraham did not tell his son Isaac that God wanted him to be sacrificed. He kept it secret when Isaac asked: “… but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering…” He did not tell his son Isaac that God wanted him to be sacrificed, and did not ask his view. Isaac knew only that he was “the lamb” to be sacrificed when he was bound as mentioned in Genesis 22:9.

As mentioned in the Qur’ān, Ishmael was consulted, informed that he was to be sacrificed by the command of Allah. He told his father: “Do as you are commanded, I shall be patient”. He was not bound. Both the father and the son were obeying Allah’s command, a tremendous test for both. A man approaching his 100 years longed for a son, but when he was blessed with a son, an only son, he had to sacrifice him.
Following the example of Prophet Abraham we Muslims perform the pilgrimage at Mecca, we throw pebbles at the stone pillars symbolizing Satan and sacrifice a lamb at Mina near Mecca. The ritual is much easier than what Prophet Abraham and Ishmael had gone through.

(THE SECOND KHUT.BAH)
اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر, لا إلَهَ إلاّ اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَكْبَر , اللهُ أَكْبَر وَ لِلّهِ اْلحَمْد
الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ رَبِّ اْلعَالَمِيْنَ. وَ الصَّلاةُ وَ السَّلامُ عَلىَ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ, سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلىَ آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِيْنِ.
أمَّا بَعْـُـد
Brothers and sisters in Islam
Satan always tries to lead us away from the right way and from obeying Allah. Allah says:
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا (فاطر: ٦)
“Verily Satan is an enemy to you:
so treat him as an enemy.”

There are two kinds of Satan: Satan which we cannot see, among the jinn (genie); the other is Satan from among human beings. They whisper to man’s heart to do bad things.

There is a story of a pious scholar who was lying on his deathbed and was surrounded by his disciples. They asked him to say the shahādah, namely, lā ilāha illallāh, muhammadun rasūlullah (“there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”), as a Muslim is recommended to say. But the scholar said, “No, I won’t.” The disciples started doubting the piety of their teacher who was semi-conscious. Suddenly, he became conscious and asked: “Did anything happen?” They said, “yes” and told him what happened. He said: “This is the work of Satan. As he could not deceive me, he was trying to deceive you and make you doubt of my teaching. When you asked me to say the shahādah at the same time Satan asked me to say that there are two gods (meaning god of light and that of darkness). I told Satan ‘No, I won’t,’ I was not talking to you.

In a tradition narrated by H...udhayfah b. al-Yamān the Prophet said:
يَكُونُ بَعْدِي أَئِمَّةٌ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ بِهُدَايَ وَلَا يَسْتَنُّونَ
بِسُنَّتِي وَسَيَقُومُ فِيهِمْ رِجَالٌ قُلُوبُهُمْ قُلُوبُ
الشَّيَاطِينِ فِي جُثْمَانِ إِنْسٍ
(رواه مسلم)
“After me there will be people who do not follow
my way and guidance, and there will be people who have
the hearts of Satan in the body of human beings.”

In another tradition Abī Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said:
يَخْرُجُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ رِجَالٌ يَخْتِلُونَ الدُّنْيَا
بِالدِّينِ يَلْبَسُونَ لِلنَّاسِ جُلُودَ الضَّأْنِ مِنْ اللِّينِ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ أَحْلَى
مِنْ السُّكَّرِ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ قُلُوبُ الذِّئَابِ
(رواه الترمذي)
“At the end of time there will be crooked
people, wearing the skin of goat in tenderness,
having tongues sweeter than sugar,
but have the hearts of wolves.”

Let us be careful so that Satan would not be able to lead us away from the right path, and let us make of supplication together.
أَللّّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمٌسْلِمِيْنَ وَ اْلمُسْلِمَاتِ وَ اْلمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ اْلمُؤْمِنَاتِ اْلأَحْيَاءِ مِنْهثمْ وَ اْلأَمْوَاتِ, إنَّكَ سَمِيْعٌ قَرِيْبٌ مُجِيْبُ الدَّعَوَاتِ وَ قَاضِيُ الْحَاجَات.
رَبَّنَا آَتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
(You can cite any supplication you know, even in English or the language known by the majority of the members of the congregation)

اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر اللهُ أَكْبَر, لا إلَهَ إلاّ اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَكْبَر , اللهُ أَكْبَر وَ لِلّهِ اْلحَمْد

Footonotes:
127. Reported by Ah.mad, al-Bayhaqī, and al-T.abrānī
128. Reported by al-Bukhārī and al-Bayhaqī
129. Qur’ān, al-S.āffāt [37]:102-107
130. Genesis 16:16 and 21:5
131.Qur’ān, al-S.āffāt [37]:100-101
132. Qur’ān, Ibrahim [14]:39
133. Qur’ān, Ibrahim [14]:40
134. Qur’ān, al-Baqarah [2]:127-129
135. Reported by Ah.mad, al-Bayhaqī and al-T.abrānī
136. Genesis 22:7-8
137. Qur’ān, Fāt.ir [35]:6
138. Reported by Muslim
139. Reported by al-Tirmidhī