Eid-ul-Azha: Its message  

Like in the previous years, Eid-ul-Azha this year, too, is set to be celebrated with traditional fervour. It will be observed tomorrow.  Since its observance originates in the episode of the believers' unalloyed submission to the will of God, this Eid carries a highly distinctive significance. It was the eager willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to slaughter his beloved son Ismail (AS) in the name of God, and finally the replacement of Ismail with a lamb and its slaughter, which prompted the tradition of the ritualistic animal sacrifices. In accordance with the Islamic tradition introduced by Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) in mid-7th century, the 3-day Holy Hajj concludes with animal sacrifices on the day of Eid-ul-Azha. Hajj pilgrims from around the world make the sacrifices on the day falling on the 10th of Zilhajj. Thus the slaughter of animals --- 'qurbani' in Arabic, has been a part of Hajj over the centuries.

To view quintessentially, Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest Islamic festival in Muslim-majority countries including Bangladsh, chiefly symbolises the virtue of abiding by the dictates of God. Traditionally, Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated in this country amid much fanfare and jubilation. But this jubilant mood is reinforced with some other features. Fellow feeling, fraternity, empathy and compassion for the relatively disadvantaged and those harried by misfortune thus emerge dominantly during the celebration. Perhaps these are the great attributes which have distinguished this year's Eid-ul-Azha. No sooner had the devastation of a prolonged flood subsided completely than the capital Dhaka and other parts of the country began to be afflicted by a frightening dengue outbreak.

 Flood assails the rural areas on the riverbanks with potential for causing different types of dislocation and displacements. Many other types of ordeals affect the flood-stricken people. But all of these hazards remain within a tolerable level. When it comes to a full-blown onslaught of dengue, the victims find themselves in a most precarious state. The outbreak being mosquito-borne, the disease thus runs the risk of spreading as Eid holidaymakers go to villages to celebrate the festival with their near and dear ones. Pockets of aedes mosquitoes have already been discovered in many rural areas. That calls for precautions at the community level including access to emergency treatment.

After the start of the dengue outbreak in the country in 2000, the coming Eid has an added solemnity to it amid a worse dengue affliction. This one and the impact of the receding floods may take away some of the festivity but hardly the fervour. In such a situation, persons capable of celebrating the Eid are expected to stand by the people who are going through unexpected ordeals. The solution lies in the very basic spirit of the festival. What's rather worth noting is while some hazards stalk the 2019 Eid the country finds itself self-sufficient in livestock resources. However, adversities should not baffle the nation gifted with inherent resilience. Let us participate in the Eid celebrations in the true sprit of brotherhood and sacrifice. The joy of Eid can be meaningful when it is shared by all. Eid Mubarak!