To begin, let us say a quiet prayer for the 14 people who lost their lives while performing the Hajj in Mecca.
Hari Raya Haji is a big occasion, though some families choose not to celebrate it with as much fanfare as Hari Raya Puasa. However you may choose to spend this day, please remember the principle behind it: sacrifice.
Not of the cow, goat or lamb kind. Those animals that get their throat slit each year and publicly chopped up for distribution; they are just symbols, part of the rituals, but while important, they ultimately mean very little.
At its most basic level, a sacrifice is what you give up in order to perform a greater good, or an unselfish good for another person or persons. You can sacrifice your free time and lend a hand at the local orphanage. You can sacrifice your self comfort and go out of the way for the company you work for. You can sacrifice your favourite TV show to send and pick your sister up from her tuition class. Sacrifices comes in every form, and it can come at any time.
On this day, E'id ul-Adha, i am asking myself what have i sacrificed this past year, and what will i sacrifice this coming year. How about you?
E'id Mubarak to all. God bless.
