Youth perspective of Submission to Eid ul Adha

The word submission according to Collins Dictionary is the act of submitting, surrendering something to someone or yielding to someone or to something.

However, my dear brothers and sisters, the word submission, In Islam, means “submission to the will of Allah Almighty, alone”

What does this mean “submission to the will of Allah Almighty?” Simply put, it is the state of mind of anyone who recognizes Almighty Allah absolute authority and reaches a conviction that Almighty Allah alone possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power or control independent of Him.

Wa mai yabtaghi ghairal Islaami deenan falany yuqbala minhu wa huwa fil Aakhirati minal khaasireen

 “And whoever seeks a way other than this way a submission (Islam), will find that it will not be accepted from him and in the Life to come he will be among the losers”

(Sura Al Imran, 3:85)

So, my dear brothers and sisters, in this life, we have a choice: either be among the winners, i.e., Islam or among the losers.

Nowadays, the focus is on our youth to become additional pillars of Islam and in the analogy of a concrete pillar, it is only as strong as its construction. Unfortunately, with the advent in technology, many of our youths are increasingly tempted to cross the threshold of being lost to the material needs of this duniyah, this world, where our existence is finite and definite.

We are seeing presently that most of our youths today, instead of being present in the Masjids for the five daily salah or other activities, they instead prefer to be at other venues. Now, we cannot wholly and solely cast blame on them for this behavior, as there are various sources of reasoning.

How, my dear brothers and sisters, how can we encourage our Muslim youths to return to the folds of Islam, to increase their Iman and only be submissive to Almighty Allah?

All the Prophets, from Adam (A.S) to Muhammad (saw) were once youths and they themselves were subjected to numerous temptations and many persecutions, which they could have easily given up. However, these temptations were futile and in fact, served to increase their Iman, their dependency, their submissiveness to Almighty Allah, to resolve their situations.

إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى

innahum fityatun amanoo birabbihim wazidnahum hudan

indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.

(Surah Al-Kahf, Quran 18:13)

Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) was born into a family of idolaters and in fact, his father was a famous idol sculptor. He was born in a generation where people either worshipped the idols made of wood and stone or the planets, moon, sun, and stars.

However, miraculously at a very early age, Almighty Allah blessed Prophet Ibrahim (AS) with wisdom and spiritual understanding. This made him question everything that he saw, and regardless of how much his father tried explaining to the child their faith, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) never felt content and satisfied deep down in his heart.

In his childhood, Prophet Ibrahim (a.s), used to call out to the passersby and asked them, “Who will buy my idols? They will not hurt you, nor will they help you.” He would then mock the idols by forcing them to drink water to prove to the people that there is no point in worshipping the Gods that cannot even defend themselves. On listening to this, Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) father scolded him and asked that he leaves the house.

In short, even after being born in a house of idol worshippers, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) keenly searched for the true light and the real God throughout his childhood. One day, Allah SWT granted him the blessing of becoming the Messenger and Prophet of the Almighty.

Prophet Ibrahim (a.s), after many generations of seeking Almighty Allah mercy to grant him and his wife Hagar a child, was answered with the birth of his first born, Ismail (a.s).

My Lord! Bless me with righteous offspring (Surah Al Saffat 37:100)

So We gave him good news of a forbearing son (Surah Al Saffat 37:101)

From an early age, Prophet Ismail (AS) walked in his father’s footsteps and was a devoted believer of Allah SWT. When he was an infant, the gift of Zamzam was given to satisfy his thirst, when Almighty Allah commanded his father to leave Ismail (a.s) and his mother, Hagar, in an uncultivated valley in the Arabian Peninsula.

After Ibrahim (A.S.) had helped his wife and child to dismount, he left them with a small amount of food and water which was hardly enough for 2 days. He turned around and walked away. Hagar hurried after him asking: “Where are you going Ibrahim, leaving us in this barren valley?”

Ibrahim (A.S.) did not answer her but continued walking. She repeated what she had said, but he remained silent. Finally, she realized that Allah Had Commanded him to do this. She asked him: “Did Allah command you to do so?” Ibrahim (A.S.) replied: “Yes.”

Then his great wife said: “We are not going to be lost since Allah Who Has Commanded you is with us.”

During those days, there was nobody in Makkah nor was there any water. Ismail’s (A.S.) mother went on suckling Ismail (A.S.) and drinking from the water she had. When the water in the water skin was consumed, she became thirsty and Ismail (A.S.) also became thirsty.

She started looking at her son, tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended for As-Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble till she crossed the valley and reached the mountain of Al-Marwa. There she stood and started looking expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that running between Safa and Marwa seven times.

When she reached Al-Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said:

“O whoever you maybe! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?”

And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing) till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water skin.

As reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari: 3362 and 3363, Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (saw) said, May Allah bestow His Mercy on the mother of Ishmael! Had she not hastened (to fill her water-skin with water from the Zamzam well). Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.

One night, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) experienced a dream in which Allah SWT asked him to sacrifice his beloved son, Prophet Ismail (AS). Initially, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) took it as the devil’s trick on him and immediately dismissed it. However, when the same dream occurred for three consecutive nights, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) acknowledged it as a divine message from the creator, Almighty Allah.

Despite his love for his only son, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) intended to go through with the sacrifice. He took his child Prophet Ismail (AS) along with a knife and a rope to the top of Mount Arafat. Upon reaching the spot, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) told his son about the dream and the command of Almighty Allah.

The obedient son immediately obliged and asked Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to blindfold himself so that he does not have to suffer. Prophet Ismail (AS) also requested his father to tie his legs and hands so he may not struggle.

Then when the boy reached the age to work with him, Abraham said, “O my dear son! I have seen in a dream that I ˹must˺ sacrifice you. So, tell me what you think.” He replied, “O my dear father! Do as you are commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.”

(Surah Al Saffat 37:102)

Therefore, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) did as his son had said. He tied the legs and hands of Prophet Ismail (AS) and blindfolded himself. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) then took the knife and fulfilled the wish of Almighty Allah. But to his surprise, when he took off the blindfold, he saw the body of a white horned ram in front of him, whereas Prophet Ismail (AS) stood beside him, completely unharmed. However, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) thought he had failed the trial, but then he heard a voice that told him that he does not need to worry, and Allah SWT always looks after his followers. This strengthened his faith.

We called out to him, “O Abraham!

You have already fulfilled the vision.” Indeed, this is how We reward the good doers.

(Surah Al Saffat 37:104 – 105)

So, my dear brothers and sisters, it is important for us to encourage our young people to emulate the youths in the Quran, as they would eventually become Almighty Allah vicegerent in this world and to use them as the present-day role models. All these youths it was not easy for them. It was difficult, and they had to go through trials and tribulations.

The significance of Eid-ul-Adha is that it commemorates Prophet Abraham (a.s), Hagar, and Ismail’s (a.s) trust and obedience to Almighty Allah.

Islam teaches that our life on earth is a test of our faith in God, our level of submissiveness, what we would sacrifice and how much for the sake of our creator. It is not limited to the physical sacrifice of animals.

Eid-ul-Adha reminds us to remain hopeful. Almighty Allah will rescue us from our difficulties and reward us with happiness, because that’s who Almighty Allah is, Al-Khaaliq, the Creator and to whom we belong and to whom we return.