UNITY, FAITH, HUMANISM

In the last days of November, Muslims of the world will be celebrating their biggest holiday - Qurban Bayram, the festival of sacrifice to God. Qurban Bayram is part of the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. It is marked on the 10th day of the 12th month of the Islamic Hijrah calendar - during the pilgrimage to Holy Mecca. Qurban Bayram embodies the lofty ideals of Islam - respect for other religions, kindness to people regardless of their identity and occupation, a wish for happiness to everyone, support for the poor and faith in one God. In Islamic countries, this festival lasts for three days.

The essence of the festival is not only the sacrifice of an animal and the distribution its meat among the poor. Qurban Bayram has deep spiritual roots. The Creator does not need the blood or the meat of sacrificial animals. People need them themselves.

Sacrifice is proof of man's spiritual development, because Islam attaches particular importance to charity. However, it is not recommended that the sacrifice be replaced by a corresponding amount of money, as the money could be spent on sinful things. That is why during the Ramadan holiday they distribute food, and during Qurban Bayram - meat. Qurban Bayram is not only a celebration of social solidarity, but also a symbol of unity. On this day people feel equal, regardless of material status. This day symbolizes the embodiment of people's willingness to sacrifice themselves in the name of Allah, faith, humanism, protection of national-religious values and the strengthening of fraternal feelings.

History

The centuries-old traditions of Qurban Bayram are associated with the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). The philosophy of this holiday is revealed in Verse 76 of Sura 6 of the Koran (Al-Anam). Those who read this verse are imbued with a great sense of respect for the Prophet Ibrahim, who brought pagans to the true path with his intelligence, perseverance and unwavering belief in one God. In their commentaries on the Koran, well-known Islamic scholars refer to the history as follows: executing the command of Almighty Allah, Prophet Ibrahim attempts to return idolaters to the true path and to persuade them to worship one Lord. To further strengthen the faith of Ibrahim himself, God tests him - he orders him to sacrifice his son Ishmael to Allah. Prophet Ibrahim decides to execute the command immediately. At this moment, Satan appears near Ishmael in human guise, inciting him to disobey his father. However, Ishmael rejects him and goes to the altar indicated by Almighty God. As he approaches this place, Satan once again tries to persuade Ishmael to disobey his father. On learning about Satan's attempts to shake his son's faith, the Prophet Ibrahim immediately orders that he be stoned. When the father draws a knife to sacrifice his son, Allah tells the angel Jabrail (Gabriel): "Hurry to my follower and tell him not to sacrifice his only son for me. Now I believe that Ibrahim obeys me and is even ready to sacrifice his son for me. Angel Jabrail immediately descends to earth and blunts the edge of the knife put to Ishmael's throat. When Prophet Ibrahim comes to, he sees that Jabrail is carrying a sacrificial lamb for him. Without concealing his joy, he exclaims: "There is no God but Allah! Allah is great!"

Religious ceremony

As we have already noted, Qurban Bayram is connected to the pilgrimage to Mecca - one of the five main tenets of Islam. The main sacred place of worship in Mecca is the Kaaba, a grey stone structure in the form of a cube. This building is covered on the outside by a black cloth, which is woven in Egypt each year and brought to the holy city. Shortly before the arrival of pilgrims it is replaced by a white blanket and, by the end of the pilgrimage, the Kaaba is covered with a new black muslin veil. The old one is cut into small pieces and handed out as a holy gift. In the eastern corner, the "Black Stone" (in Arabic - Al-Hajar Al-Aswad) is built into the wall. This stone is the main object of worship in the Kaaba. Legend has it that it was originally made of a white sapphire which turned black from the sins committed by humans. After his expulsion from paradise, the Prophet Adam erected the first stone building here on orders from Allah. However, a storm and flood destroyed the Kaaba. On orders from Allah, Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ishmael found the ancient foundations of this building and built a new house on them. When the building was ready, Ibrahim and Ishmael, as directed by the angel Jabrail, walked round it seven times, knelt down twice, read out prayers in praise of God, walked between the hills Safa and Marwa seven times and threw a stone at Satan in the valley of Mina, where he was stoned by Ishmael. After all the ceremonies of the hajj, the Prophet Ibrahim received God's order to gather all the people to worship the Kaaba. In order for people to be able to hear him clearly, Ibrahim climbed to the highest rock near the Kaaba and, turning to all four sides, said: "People! You are all ordered to come to the ancient temple to worship. Follow the order of Allah!" At this moment, the following words were heard from all sides: "Our Lord, I am before you, I'm at your service."

Appreciating the courage of the Prophet Ibrahim in being ready to sacrifice his son for the sake of Allah to prove his loyalty, Muslims hold sacrificial ceremonies every year. It is believed that with the first splashes of blood from the sacrificial animal, the sins of the man who sacrifices the animal are forgiven. On the day of the festival, about 40 minutes after sunrise, Muslims gather in mosques for morning prayers. After prayer, the ceremony of sacrifice begins.

Sacrifice

The sacrificial animal is laid on its left side with its head in the direction of Mecca. Camels, cows, bulls, buffalo, sheep and goats are the only animals sacrificed. A camel or cow may be sacrificed by one to seven people together. The sheep or goat may be sacrificed only by one person. The sheep or the goat must be at least one year old, the cow, bull and buffalo - two years old, and the camel must be at least 5 years old. Only healthy male animals are sacrificed. Animals cannot be sacrificed if they are too thin, either. It is a sin to sacrifice one animal before the eyes of another which is also intended for sacrifice. It is also unacceptable if the animal sees the knife and becomes frightened. In order not to torture the animal, the knife must be very sharp. The man who sacrifices an animal must be a follower of Muhammad, and the process of sacrifice must be accompanied by the reading of prayers from the Koran.

It is not recommended to separate the animal's head from his body and begin skinning him before the animal dies. A man who sacrifices an animal must divide and distribute the meat of the sacrificed animal between seven neighbours, relatives or acquaintances. This tradition teaches people to have a sense of kindness and mercy for their neighbour. During the holiday, you cannot be in mourning or even weep for the dead. An important duty on this sacred holiday is to visit relatives or remember parents one day before.Pious people who read the Koran should also be greeted.