After reciting the Tashahhud, the Ta’uz and the first chapter Al Fatiha of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Amirul Mo’emenine, Zafrullah Domun said:

Today is Eid ul Adha. It is a day of rejoicing for all Muslims around the world. So I extend my Eid greetings to all Muslims around the world. Many Muslims will be slaughtering animals and eating them and will indulge in merrymaking today and in the two coming days. But unfortunately there is a proportion of Muslims around the world for whom such merrymaking is not at all within their means or they live under such conditions that it is well-nigh impossible for them to be happy even on a festive day. Here I am thinking particularly of those who are sick, who are poor and who are living in countries where wars are raging. In this particular day we have a special thought for them also. There is also another category of persons whose right to be happy have been taken away from them. These are the people who are coerced to believe in things that their heart is not inclined to accept. But due to some circumstances they are forced to accept these conditions. Let us remember them also. We pray that Allah help all Muslims to live like Muslims with his/her wife/husband and his neighbors. May all Muslims in general and the Ahmadis in particular understand the definition of Muslim that the Holy Prophet Mohammad^saw has given us. He said “A Muslim is one from the harm of whose hands and tongue other Muslims are safe”. It is quite unfortunate that many Muslims and even Ahmadis have forgotten these noble teachings in their everyday life. Let us hope and pray that Allah will bring those days closer when all Muslims will practice what they preach and we will enter an era of peace, harmony and goodwill amongst all people.

Today around the world millions of animals will be slaughtered as sacrifice. Cows, camels, sheep and goat will be slaughtered. Some persons who have means will even slaughter a whole cow for themselves although it is allowed to take only one seventh part of the animal. In conversations you will hear some persons speak about their animal, about how many pounds of meat they received about how much they paid. At times if you stay within the circle of those who are closely involved with the slaughtering and distribution you can even hear about quarrels of dissatisfaction on the part of the participants. Some may not be satisfied about the share of meat that they received.  But have you ever heard some people talking about the significance of this sacrifice. It is very rare that you hear a group of persons who are participating in the sacrifice speaking about its purpose. While eating the meat you will hear many comments about its taste. But rarely will you meet someone or a group of persons who are really concerned about whether their offerings will be accepted by Allah or not. Even if this Eid is for some days only I personally think , in the light of the verses of the Holy Quran that we should always be concerned about whether our offerings are being accepted or not. Allah says it very clearly in the Holy Quran when He says:

“Lan yanaalallaho lahoumoha wa laa dimaa’oha wa lakil yanalahout taqwa minkoum”. The translation is “neither their flesh nor their blood reach Allah. What reaches Him is your righteousness”(22:38). Similarly at another place we read:

“And relate to them truly the story of the two sons of Adam, when they each offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other. The latter said, ‘I will surely kill thee.’ The former replied, ‘Allah accepts only from the righteous.

‘If thou stretch out thy hand against me to kill me, I am not going to stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee. I do fear Allah, the Lord of the universe.” (5:28-29)

When we read these two verses together we can easily get an idea of how sacrifices should be offered to Allah. First of all it should be offered with a fearful heart; a heart which overflows with the fear of Allah. This fear of Allah is cultivated slowly not all of a sudden. For some people it may take a lifetime for this fear to cover all aspects of their life. Even those people who have really developed God- consciousness they will declare like the poet Ghalib “Jaan di di houwi oussi ki thi ; haq to yeh hai keh haq ada na huwa”. These verses may be translated as “we gave our life but that life was His; the truth is that even that was not sufficient.” Hazrat Masih Maood ^as also has taught similar ideas when it was revealed to him “har eik neki ki jar yeh ittiqa hai; agar yeh jar rahi sab kouch  raha hai”. The translation is “the root of all virtue is this fear; if it is present everything is present”. Only the first verse was revealed.

Hence if on the occasion of Eid ul Adha some Muslims go to perform Hajj to have their sins forgiven and most of those who stay at home offer animal sacrifices, the main purpose is for that Muslim man/woman to become a better person; someone who, because of his progress in God-consciousness he or she becomes also a source of peace for all people in general but to Muslims in particular. If this main objective is forgotten our sacrifices and our hajj will be in vain. The more we advance in God-realization the more we become sensitive to the needs of our fellow human beings. Above everything we should always try not to harm anyone’s feelings. As you might know the Holy Prophet ^saw is reported to have said that “A word of wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim; wherever he finds it he should take it.” On every Eid ul Adha day we hear a song on the radio in the morning. It says “Hai maut teri manzil, zindagi safar hai, touteh na dil kissi ka , har dil khoda ka ghar hai”. I think that it comes from the verses of a poem written by someone with deep wisdom. Its translation is as follows: “Death is your destination and life is the journey; do not break anyone’s heart, each heart is God’s House.” The message is very deep. In order to understand it, you have to meditate about it. 

What I am trying to say is that it is not sufficient for us that we participate in the sacrifice of animals but we do not want at all to participate in the sacrifice of our self. As far as I know I do not know of a better book where the purpose of our life journey has been spelt out in detail besides the Holy Quran. However we have to agree that not everybody reads the Holy Quran to absorb its teachings. Many read only the Arabic words without understanding the meanings. Around the world there are many Hafiz of the Holy Quran who do not know its translation. But by the Grace of Allah, through His sheer Mercy He sent us Hazrat Masih Maood ^as and taught him what man should make of his life. Allah helped him to prepare the speech he delivered atLahore  in the conference of religion which is published in the form of a book as “The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam”. This book is a commentary of some verses of the Holy Quran. In it Hazrat Masih^as has taught us how we should journey through the different stages of our soul throughout our life. I think that anyone who really wants to understand the purpose of his life and how he or she may attain it should read the book. The book will serve as a guide to make easy for you this perilous journey. That is why I have been advising our young ones to read it so that they might not get drown in the tempest of their soul which is inclined to evil. However since life is an unfolding drama and we are ill prepared to face its many challenges, just reading the book is not sufficient. One needs to get into contact with that person whom Allah has appointed as guides for this very purpose. Then through the prayers and advices of such guides Allah will alleviate your burdens and will make your life journey easy provided, of course you are ready to take the advices that your guide gives you. Throughout the history of Islam we see that many Muslims have tried to understand the purpose of their life and practically pursue it in their daily lives by associating themselves with these guides.

In fact in order to achieve the purpose of his life the Muslim should be ever ready to sacrifice his or her life for the sake of Allah just like he sacrifices animals on day of Eid ul Adha. Therefore we should understand quite well that sacrificing animals is symbolic of the readiness to sacrifice what we love most for the sake of Allah. Thus Allah says in the Holy Quran “Lan tanaloul birra hatta tounfeqou mimma tohibboune” We translate this verse as “You will not attain to righteousness until you spend what you love”.

 As I said yesterday Hajj reminds us of the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim as and that of his son Ibrahim and his wife Hajra. All of us who have sons or who are sons of their father know quite well what relationship exist between father and son. I am not going to elaborate on that. All men and boys can have an idea of the solidity of that indissociable bond.

Now think about the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim^as. When he was young Allah told him that He would give him descendants who would be as numerous as stars in the sky according to the Bible. But yet no children came for may be more than 50 years. When he was old (86 years old according to the bible) Allah gave him Ismail through his wife Hajra.  An old man has a son. Just imagine how much he would have wished that child to be with him. But Allah told him to go and leave both child and mother in the desert where there were no other human beings living.  In fact he left them in Mecca and he returned to where he came from. In the traditions it is related that it was at that time that he offered the following supplications to Allah:

 ‘My Lord, make this city a city of peace, and keep me and my children away from worshipping idols

My Lord, they have indeed led astray many among mankind. So whoever follows me, he is certainly of me; and whoever disobeys me — Thou art, surely, Most Forgiving, Merciful.

‘Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House — our Lord — that they may observe Prayer. So make men’s hearts incline towards them and provide them with fruits, that they may be thankful.

‘Our Lord, certainly, Thou knowest what we conceal and what we make known. And nothing whatsoever is hidden from Allah, whether in the earth or in the heaven.

All praise belongs to Allah, Who has given me, despite old age, Ishmael and Isaac. Surely, my Lord is the Hearer of prayer.

‘My Lord, make me observe Prayer, and my children Our Lord! bestow Thy grace on me and accept my prayer.

Our Lord, grant forgiveness to me and to my parents and to the believers on the day when the reckoning will take place.’(14:36-42)

When the water that they brought was used, the mother ran on the hills to find water. She ran on Safa in one direction and on Marwa in the opposite direction. When she did not find anything or anyone she returned to her child. Lo! Besides the child the spring of Zamzam started flowing. Later on caravans would be attracted to the place and this was the story of the foundation of the city of Mecca which was to play such a great importance in the history of humanity. When Hazrat Ismail started running his father spoke to him about a dream. In the Holy Quran we read thus:

“And when he was old enough to work with him, he said, ‘O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering thee. So consider, what thou thinkest of it!’ He replied, ‘O my father, do as thou art commanded; thou wilt find me, if Allah please, of those who are patient.’

And when they both submitted to the Will of God, and he had thrown him down on his forehead,

We called to him: ‘O Abraham,

Thou hast indeed fulfilled the dream.’ Thus indeed do We reward those who do good.

That surely was a manifest trial.

And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.

And We left for him a good name among the following generations 

Peace be upon Abraham!’

Thus do We reward those who do good.

Surely, he was one of Our believing servants.(37:103-112)

This is the story of the sacrifices of Ibrahim, Hajra and Ismail. Eventually the greatest prophet Hazrat Mohammad ^saw was born out of the progeny of Ismail. This also was a direct result of the prayers of Hazrat Ibrahim^as which is mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Quran. But we do not have the time to go into details here.

Thus on this great day of Eid ul Adha each Muslim around the world should remember the sacrifices of Ibrahim and Hajra and Ismail. It is their story that Allah has kept alive through some of the rituals of Hajj as they have been shown to us by Hazrat Mohammad ^saw. Each one of us whether we are a mother, father or son should aspire to walk into the footsteps of these people who showed through their example that they were ready to give up everything for the sake of their Allah. They had faith in the promise that Allah made to Ibrahim^as and they submitted willingly. Consequently Allah spoke in very laudable terms about what they did. Let us hope and pray that Allah shows us the path of His pleasure by helping us all to submit to His will under all circumstances. May we know so much of our Lord that we may say like our beloved Master was ordained to say:

“Inna salati wa nosoki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahe rabbil aalameen”. The translation is ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” Eid Mubarak to you all once again.

In the end I would like to inform you that yesterday which was the day of Eid in Saudi Arabia and which was also a Friday , on waking up it was revealed to me

“Yaa Ibrahim Inni motaffaffiqa wa raafe’oka elayya wa motahheroka minallazina kafarou wa jaa’eloullazinattaba’ouka fawqal lazina kafarou ila yawmil qiyamah ”.

The translation is:

“ O Ibrahim I will cause you to die and will purify you of what those who do not believe say and will make those who follow  you  stay above(triumph over) those who have rejected you until the last day”.

After a few minutes I received again: “Yaa Ibrahim Salaam ho toum par ”.

The translation is “O Ibrahim peace be upon you”.

 I take these revelations to be understood as Hazrat Masih Maood as has taught us to understand them. Nothing more nothing less.