By the grace of Allah Almighty, Eid ul-Adha (Tobaski) was observed in The Gambia and some other countries on Sunday 16th June 2024.
Eid ul-Adha is a special moment for over a billion Muslims around the world. It is an occasion of reflection, thankfulness, worship, gratitude and a moment of prayers, coupled with the sharing of joy and happiness. On this day, we celebrate and remember the great sacrifices of Prophet Ibrahim and his blessed son Isma’il and wife Hazrat Hajara, May Allah Almighty be pleased with all of them. Aameen.
As we celebrate eid, and as millions of animals are sacrificed the world over and thousands here in our beloved country The Gambia, we should always ponder over this verse of the Holy Qur’an which as Muslims we should always remember but especially on Eid ul-Adha:
“Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him. Thus has He subjected them to you, that you may glorify Allah for His guiding you. And give glad tidings to those who do good.” (Surah Al-Hajj Chapter 22, Verse 38)
Such occasions should serve as reminders for us that we should always try our best to increase in righteousness and also that we should increase in taqwa (fear of Allah Almighty). On such days, we should reflect on the purpose of our creation which is the worship of Allah Almighty as Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
And I have not created the Jinn and the Men but that they may worship Me. (Surah Adh-Dhariyat Chapter 51, Verse 57)
On such days, we should assess ourselves and see how many righteous deeds we have done, what is the level of our worship of Allah Almighty, our sala’at, our recitation of the Holy Qur’an, our remembrance of Allah Almighty and also what is our level of good treatment of the poor, the needy, the weak and also how did we treat our neighbours, and so forth. These are things we should reflect on.
Indeed, Eid ul-Adha is that period of the year, when we buy animals and sacrifice them, when we buy new clothes, when we visit relatives, spend time with families and bring together that great sense of community, brotherhood, love and harmony, but as we enjoy, smile, dress good, eat delicious and good food, laugh together, be happy with our families and relatives, we should never forget about the poor and needy people who live among us. Indeed, during such periods, they are mostly remembered, but it should be the continuous duty of those who are wealthy and fortunate among us that they continue to support and alleviate the conditions of the poor and needy among us. We should also look after the orphans, the sick and the prisoners by taking care of them and looking after their affairs and welfare. Those who can should take care and support these very vulnerable people in the society.
We should thank Allah Almighty and always be grateful to Him for all His blessings, bounties and mercy upon us. We should always remember and pray for our family members, our relatives and our friends who have passed away. Last year we celebrated this Eid ul-Adha with some of them, sharing the joy and happiness but today they are not with us to witness this year’s Eid ul-Adha celebrations. We should pray for them that Allah Almighty grant mercy upon them and forgive their sins and shortcomings and bless them with acceptance and grace of nearness to Himself.
At the end we are hereby extending to you the warmest salaam, love, prayers of Eid Mubarak of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V(May Allah be his Helper), the Spiritual and Supreme Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. On behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of The Gambia, I humbly wish you all Eid Mubarak, Happy Tobaski.
May Allah Almighty accept and reward abundantly all our humble devotions and sacrifices. May He continue protecting and blessing our beloved and dear motherland, The Gambia and her people and shower peace, security, prosperity and stability upon us all. Aameen.
Wassalam
