Eid Mubarak
So alike, but a jarring difference . . .
Our Moslem friends are celebration the Great Eid, when God / Allah (remember, the Hebrew word is Yah’weh, sounds a lot alike, doesn’t it?) told Abraham not to kill his son, as his son was lying on the altar, trusting his father – and provided a ram stuck in the nearby bushes. We Christians say that son was was Isaac, son of Sarah; our Moslem friends say it was Ishmael, Abraham’s first born son by Hajar, banished to the desert.
Right now, millions of Moslems from all over the world are making the Hajj. The men are dressed in two snowy white large cotton towels, symbolizing purity. The women are dressed plainly. I think the rules are no veils and no hair coverings, all just as they are, but it may be that the rules are changing from what I have observed and overheard on blogs.
Millions of Moslems, from all over the globe, gathered to fulfill one of the pillars of Islam, to make the Hajj at least once in one’s life. It is a very holy time for our Moslem friends, a time of forgiveness and purity and spiritual renewal.
May you find peace in your hearts, love for your fellow beings, and an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude for God’s unfathomable mercy.
Eid Mubarak.
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One interesting difference in the story (there are several – the first being that it was Ismail, not Isaac/Ishaq, who was to be sacrificed – Isaac’s birth is foretold as a reward, in a way, for Abraham passing the trial) is that Ibrahim tells Ismail what God has asked of him, while in the Torah Abraham lies and tells Isaac that they are searching for the animal to be sacrificed. Ismail says to his father, who appears willing to ignore God’s command and save his son: do what God tells you; if he wants me as a sacrifice, I accept. Its a very moving story, and it makes the project a family one, rather than one for Abraham alone. It also makes both men look a lot better: Ismail for not being dumb (does Isaac really think they’ll find a sacrifice animal wandering in the wilderness?), and Abraham for not lying to his son.
Thank you, Professor Little Diamond :-). Is that in the Qur’an, or is it hadith?