“What does Eid ul Adha mean to you?” is a question I’ve asked my Muslim friends, who are mostly from Sylhet in NE Bangladesh. Some are first generation settlers here, with English as their second or third language. Others are third and fourth generation citizens, with jobs in the City of London, local schools, Tesco and every workplace in between.
For me, Abraham’s sacrifice, which is commemorated at Eid ul Adha, brings happy memories of living in Sylhet. There was kindness, hospitality, great clothes and a whole lot of beef. Vivid images of blood, guts and gore come back to me, as large cows had their throats slit by the side of the road, and their meat was cut up and distributed among family, friends and the poor.
Biblically, it takes me back to Abraham’s staggering trust in Almighty God. Out of devotion to God, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, his only son, whom he loved. And so, God assured his promise of blessing to all nations on earth through Abraham and his offspring. The place of sacrifice was also called “the LORD will provide” by Abraham, as he prophetically pointed forward to Almighty God’s staggering love. Out of love for the world, God did sacrifice his Son, his only Son, whom he loved. And so, God has blessed all nations on earth through Abraham’s greatest offspring, great David’s greater son, Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
But what of friends here? They’ve said that it’s part of something bigger and connects them to something bigger too. It’s connected to hajj, and everything associated with the pilgrimage to Mecca. It’s part of Abraham’s wider life of obedience, along with his son’s obedience, as they both followed Allah’s word. And celebrating Eid, whether in London, Sylhet or Mecca, is honouring that legacy, and in some sense being drawn into the story. Ideally, friends would like to join the pilgrimage and carry out all its rituals which echo Abraham’s life – and gain the blessing of cleansing from sin that they think it achieves. But, if that’s not possible, then at least paying for an animal to be slaughtered and the meat given to the poor is honouring Abraham’s legacy.
For some, celebrating Eid includes giving presents and dressing-up in fine clothes. For others, that’s taking away meaning from the event and commercialising it. For most in East London, at least, they feel somewhat separated from it all. They’re not in Mecca “with” Abraham nor in Sylhet “with” the poor. There seem to be feelings that this is not as good as it could be.
Where does that leave us, as those who trust in the greatest sacrifice and are caught up in His story and His legacy, through a faith like Abraham? I guess we can give a Bible overview answer or a Hebrews 11 answer, among others. We can begin to share the whole of God’s story and our part in it, beginning with Adam and Eve, sin, an animal dying to cover their shame, promises to Abraham, a Passover and more sacrifices and sin and exile, all leading to Jesus, his call to follow him, trusting in his sacrifice, as we seek to live sacrificial lives daily, as God’s friends now, and looking forward to reaching his perfect place forever, as, like Abraham, we trust in God’s precious promises. Or, we can begin to talk about our life now being one of a pilgrimage of faith, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses whose legacy we’re part of, and that we don’t need to go to a special place on earth, as the earth is the Lord’s, but we’re on a journey as strangers and exiles to the ultimate Special Place, the city that has been prepared for Abraham and those who live by faith like his.
R. Scott
See Also: My Muslim friends at Eid ul Adha and Sharing Stories at Eid ul Adha