I want to keep this short seeing as I might have my messed up family coming soon to celebrate the Islamic religious holiday of Eid al-Adha. Therefore, this might just be an overview and small summary of what this day means to a Muslim and should mean to all Muslims.
This is the other big holiday other than Eid al-Fitr, which comes after Ramadan, which is the month of Fasting
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Today is the day called Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated after the Hajj, also known as the Pilgrimmage to Mecca.
For Muslims, this day is not only meaningful because of the all that the Hajj means and stands for in Islamic history, but also because today is the day you might come across Muslims, if they can afford to, sacrificing cows, goats, sheep, etc. (this is because of the story which we do believe in that involves the Abraham and his son)
The Hajj itself is such a meaningful thing not only for one Muslim in his or her lifetime, but also for all the Muslims that take that journey and perform it together.
It happens year after year, it has been taking place since Abraham's time but it became mandatory and one of the five pillars of Islam after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) took his pilgrimmage back to Makkah, which was his home that he had to migrate from to Medinah. The amount of Muslims that perform this pilgrimage each year is huge...Over TWO MILLION that come to Saudi Arabia from countries all over the world where Muslims live.
It is quite moving for me and I am saying this as someone looking in from the outside because I have never had a chance to go to Hajj. It is quite expensive and most Muslims only get one chance to perform it in their whole lifetime.
My aunts and my uncle have been to Hajj and so has my grandmother, before she passed away. All I know is that this journey is quite powerful and moving; it oftens changes a Muslim completely.
The scenes one sees of all his Muslim brothers and sisters coming together, regardless of ethnicity, race, nationality, skin color and other characteristics is probably quite overwhelming...I can only say this because that is what I have been told and taught.
This for me is the heart of Islam...this is what is forgotten today, this is what needs to be remembered.
You see I can feel that the message is lost in the shit that goes on and on, but still I want you to know,
This is what Islam means to me, this is what it teaches me:
Whether you are a believer or not, just remember one thing...
We are one, if you try and look past what you see,
Make it so that you forget what you hear and ignore what they speak...
because all of that is just today, And instead...
I want you and I, to live and love hopefully,
For the coming beautiful days.
----- The Day After----
Eid was nice, got to see my cousins after about a month and a half even though we only live about 30 minutes away from each other and they all can drive and have cars, while I can not drive. My mom and dad made some great food, we made some good memories, but the temperature was 34 degrees or maybe even lower here in PA and it sucked having to go outside to get things at last minute (some soda.paper napkins.mayo.banana peppers)
What was planned as a racist and hateful act against Muslims
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28113077/
"A person doesn't die when he should but when he can."
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
"close your eyes, clear your heart..." A Muslim Girl's Plight
I enjoyed reading this. When to you plan to go to Hajj?
for it in the next 3-5 years, the only thing is that my parents have not even had the chance yet, so if we all save up, they would be the ones to go first...
there are many things that need to be considered before one goes on HAjj.
As I said it costs a lot for the whole trip, the tickets plus room and board fall in the range of five thousand dollars, so it is not easy for a Muslim to do it without planning for it and saving for it. This is also why once in your lifetime is enough.
The Saudi government is decides whom to give the visa and they also make sure that people who have not already performed Hajj get the chance to do it, for instance, if someone with money has already done it once or maybe twice, he or she will not get the visa again to go perform Hajj since it is unfair to other Muslims who save up for this pilgrimmage.
"A person doesn't die when he should but when he can."
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
"close your eyes, clear your heart..." A Muslim Girl's Plight