Have we sacrificed enough?
Putting aside the silly but inevitable debate about when the Muslim Day of Sacrifice (Idul Adha) falls, we would do well to reflect on the message of one of the most important days on the Islamic calendar. The concept of sacrifice, recognized in all major religions, is universal and simple: Everyone needs to make sacrifices in life for the good of society.
The world was never built equal, and was never intended to be. The message of sacrifice is that those who are fortunate should help the less fortunate; the able should help the less able and the wealthy help the poor. Since there is always someone else less fortunate, less able and less wealthy than us, the obligation to sacrifice falls on everyone, except for the poorest of the poor.
This year’s Day of Sacrifice comes on the heels of three devastating disasters inflicting our compatriots: the floods in Wasior/Papua; the earthquake/tsunami on Mentawai Island, West Sumatra; and the volcanic eruption of Mount Merapi, Central Java. The government, the military and volunteers have been hard at work to help those whose homes, communities and livelihoods have been shattered. The public response has been equally terrific, donating generously in kind or money to help the hundreds of thousands of people living in temporary shelters.
It is always encouraging to see how the nation, with the exception of a few bad apples, unites to help their compatriots get through the crisis. The spirit of sharing has never felt so strong. Let’s hope that this sense of community continues. The displaced still need all the help they can get to rebuild their homes and lives.
The Day of Sacrifice could not have come earlier. This is the test of what a community or a nation is all about: Helping one another.
The Day of Sacrifice is a powerful symbol. The Koran implores us to follow the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim who, upon God’s ordain, showed that he was ready to slaughter his son, Ismail. None of us are required to go that far, but the message is clear: We should be prepared to part with our most precious possessions, for the good of society and mankind.
The cow or goat slaughtered is symbolic of our readiness. Obviously we should do more than the annual ritual of sacrifice. That leaves us with the question we need to ask ourselves: Have we sacrificed enough? Eid Mubarak. (adapted from editorial of thejakartapost.com)
The world was never built equal, and was never intended to be. The message of sacrifice is that those who are fortunate should help the less fortunate; the able should help the less able and the wealthy help the poor. Since there is always someone else less fortunate, less able and less wealthy than us, the obligation to sacrifice falls on everyone, except for the poorest of the poor.
This year’s Day of Sacrifice comes on the heels of three devastating disasters inflicting our compatriots: the floods in Wasior/Papua; the earthquake/tsunami on Mentawai Island, West Sumatra; and the volcanic eruption of Mount Merapi, Central Java. The government, the military and volunteers have been hard at work to help those whose homes, communities and livelihoods have been shattered. The public response has been equally terrific, donating generously in kind or money to help the hundreds of thousands of people living in temporary shelters.
It is always encouraging to see how the nation, with the exception of a few bad apples, unites to help their compatriots get through the crisis. The spirit of sharing has never felt so strong. Let’s hope that this sense of community continues. The displaced still need all the help they can get to rebuild their homes and lives.
The Day of Sacrifice could not have come earlier. This is the test of what a community or a nation is all about: Helping one another.
The Day of Sacrifice is a powerful symbol. The Koran implores us to follow the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim who, upon God’s ordain, showed that he was ready to slaughter his son, Ismail. None of us are required to go that far, but the message is clear: We should be prepared to part with our most precious possessions, for the good of society and mankind.
The cow or goat slaughtered is symbolic of our readiness. Obviously we should do more than the annual ritual of sacrifice. That leaves us with the question we need to ask ourselves: Have we sacrificed enough? Eid Mubarak. (adapted from editorial of thejakartapost.com)
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