Originally published in the Longview News-Journal
Muslims all over the world each year celebrate Eid ul Adha (the feast of sacrifice) to remember when the patriarch Abraham symbolically sacrificed a ram instead of his son to fulfill the commandment of his Creator.
Muslims are commanded to remember this day by sacrificing animals and sharing the meat with family, neighbors, and the poor. God states in the Quran that “their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches him.”
Underlining this festival is the spirit of sacrifice, which in Islam and indeed all faiths originates from our forefather Abraham. Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved son to please His Maker, we should be willing to sacrifice our worth and life for the sake of winning the pleasure of God.
It is in this spirit we should always be grateful to all servicemen who risk their lives in the spirit of sacrifice, such as those who bring peace in nations stricken with war or nations threatened with deadly virus like is the case with the Ebola virus.
