Eid Mubarak

Muslims in Ghana joined other Muslims across the globe last Saturday to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).

As usual, the faithful offered prayers after which they slaughtered animals — sheep, goats and cows — as their sacrifice for the occasion.

Eid-ul-Adha is a Muslim celebration that honours the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to obey Allah to sacrifice his son, Ismail. 

It also commemorates the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

The occasion of the Eid is a test of the faith and obedience of Muslims to the command of Allah. Those with means are required to buy and sacrifice animals.

They are also guided as to how to share the meat — they reserve one third for themselves, share one third among neighbours and the other third among followers of other religious faiths.

The sacrifice, therefore, seeks to bring about peaceful co-existence and harmony among the rich and the poor in society.

Besides, the giving of meat to adherents of other religious faiths brings about peace, understanding and tolerance between Muslims and followers of other religions.

According to Islamic scholars, Eid-ul-Adha goes beyond the sacrifice of animals. They say the feast also challenges Muslims to use their intelligence, wealth, energy and time to better the lot of other people in society.

This year’s Eid-ul-Adha comes at a time when the economy of the country is not in the best of shapes, although it is beginning to bounce back. 

Also, our brothers and sisters in neighbouring Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea are battling the deadly Ebola disease.

The essence of Eid-ul-Adha must, therefore, reverberate in all Ghanaians — we must learn to sacrifice for the good of our nation.

The act of sacrifice was the foundation for the development of major countries, including the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK).

In the case of the USA, there was a period in its history when the people decided to sacrifice their energy and time to build the nation by taking only some small allowances for their work.

The Daily Graphic is not suggesting that people’s salaries should be slashed. But we can make pledges to at least support efforts at bringing about change and growth in our communities and offices. Those who are better endowed can contribute to fix the development gaps in their communities.

The challenges facing the economy should be seen by Ghanaians as a common enemy that must be tackled head-on by all.

This is not the time to sit on the fence because of our ideological differences — we owe it as a duty to present and future generations to contribute our quota to the development of the country.  

It was, therefore, no mere coincidence that the sermons at the various Eid-ul-Adha prayer grounds dwelt on peace, reconciliation and the need for all Ghanaians to work together to develop the country. 

Whatever the challenges are — spiritual or otherwise — we can surmount them through hard work and prayers to Allah.

The Daily Graphic once again wishes all Muslims Barka da Sallah or Eid Mubarak and ask all Ghanaians to let the act of sacrifice be their watchword.