Every year on Eid Ul-Adha, Muslims across the world come together to mark the end of the holy pilgrimage, Hajj, and to give honour to the spirit of sacrifice. Eid Ul-Adha commemorates the experience of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), detailed in the Holy Quran, highlighting willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of devotion to Almighty Allah (swt). Before he could carry out the sacrifice, the Almighty provided a ram as an offering, thereby rewarding Abraham for his profound and enduring faith.
Muslims celebrate the Adha, Arabic for “sacrifice,” by the slaughtering of an animal and dividing the meat into thirds - one for ourselves, another portion for family, and a third portion for those in need. This sharing represents the key lessons of Eid Ul-Adha, Islam’s most revered observance – sacrifice, equality and charity. It is a symbol of the Prophet's willingness to sacrifice his son, and also a lesson that in giving, we should treat persons equally.
Eid al-Adha marks the climax of Hajj, the sacred journey to Mecca carried out by over two million Muslims each year. Many of our Muslim brothers and sisters recently embarked on this journey in fulfilment of this pillar of Islam. Their journey of sacrifice and selflessness reminds us of the importance of obedience to the Almighty and one’s parents that we must instil into our children. We have a duty to the younger generations, as parents and leaders to inculcate the ideals of hard work, sacrifice and devotion.
We must promote the values of charity and selflessness to the future generations so that they will know the importance of giving back and helping those who are less fortunate in our society.
On behalf of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, I wish to extend Eid Ul-Adha greetings to our entire Muslim community at home and abroad, and wish for all citizens of our beloved nation peace, good health and prosperity for every day of your journey through life.
Eid Mubarak!