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Sunday Open Thread – Joyous Spirit of Hajj and Eid, and a Week of Wins

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Alhamdulillah, this week has seen the culmination of sacred, global Islamic rituals and celebrations, and has ended on an especially positive note for our MuslimMatters team.

Firstly, the joyous occasion of Eid Al-Adha was celebrated by Muslims the world over, as millions of pilgrims/hujjaj performed the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia. This year, Muslims pilgrims kicked off the new inter-site Makkah Metro. For some great photographs of Hajj, check out the “Big Picture” Hajj page on Boston.com.

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As the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia recited the talbiyah, other Muslims the world over recited takbeers and planned their annual sacrifice of animal(s). Fasting was a top priority as the days were shorter and the weather chillier. Some fortunate Muslims fasted all the first 9 days of the sacred month of Dhul Hijjah.

In my country, sacrificial animals are found everywhere as the day of Eid Al-Adha approaches. The local children love to get really “up close and personal” with these decorated, garlanded udhiyah found everywhere on the streets and roads. This year I tried to photograph animals where ever they could be spotted:

  1. In the compounds of homes..

  2. Tied up outside homes on roadsides..


  3. In open plots of land between bungalows and palatial houses..

  4. Tied up in the marketplace under apartment buildings…

  5. Inside empty shop places available for rent…(yes, believe it or not, that is a sitting camel!)

  6. Being transported in pickup vans to their proud owners’ homes..

By the time the sun begins to set at maghrib time on Eid Al-Adha, most of the sacred udhiyah are transformed into mouth-watering delicacies like this:

As frenzied and overworked butchers run around throughout the day doing their work overtime, many a hopeful face among the poor people of the country brighten up with joy as packets of meat are distributed to them in an unrestricted spirit of wholehearted giving, sharing, and caring. It is a fact that thousands of the poor people in our country cannot even think of eating lamb or mutton except on Eid Al-Adha! Besides the main meat, even the trotters, brains, kidneys, lungs, liver, and other anatomical parts of the sacred animals find their way into a heated pot, wherein they are cooked to spicy and tender perfection and eaten with relish.

Last but not least, this week saw voting reach its peak as the Seventh Annual Brass Crescent Awards 2010 neared their final date of online voting, i.e. November 19th, 2010. Alhamdulillah, MuslimMatters.org won in both categories for which it was nominated, “Best Blog” and “Best Group Blog”!

Jazakum Allahu khair, readers, for your votes and support. May Allah bless our efforts here at MuslimMatters.org and accept our endeavors.

How was your Eid? What meaty treats did you enjoy? How much more meat did you give as sadaqah this year?

Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

Sadaf Farooqi is a postgraduate in Computer Science who has done the Taleem Al-Quran Course from Al-Huda International, Institute of Islamic Education for Women, in Karachi, Pakistan. 11 years on, she is now a homeschooling parent of three children, a blogger, published author and freelance writer. She has written articles regularly for Hiba Magazine, SISTERS Magazine and Saudi Gazette. Sadaf shares her life experiences and insights on her award-winning blog, Sadaf's Space, and intermittently teaches subjects such as Fiqh of Zakah, Aqeedah, Arabic Grammar, and Science of Hadith part-time at a local branch of Al-Huda. She has recently become a published author of a book titled 'Traversing the Highs and Lows of Muslim Marriage'. For most part, her Jihad bil Qalam involves juggling work around persistent power breakdowns and preventing six chubby little hands from her computer! Even though it may not seem so, most of her time is spent not in doing all this, but in what she loves most - reading.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Ameera Khan

    November 21, 2010 at 2:50 AM

    Lovely photos… never knew vacant shops could also be used to house animals during Eid! :) But then, here in Pakistan, wherever you find space enough for a goat to place its four feet on – that’s enough space to set up an animal market! :)

    Oh and you “missed” out the fact that you won a BCA too. Ahem… Best Writer wasn’t it? :D Barikillah, Sadaf baji! You rock (Masha’Allah)!! :D

    • Sadaf Farooqi

      November 21, 2010 at 3:30 AM

      Jazakillahu khair! “Alhamdulillah” is all I can say.
      It has been a great blogging week for us all! :)

  2. Hassan

    November 21, 2010 at 8:39 AM

    Many decent americans (and some congressmen) are trying to fight TSA’s new body scanner and enhance pat down, how and what muslims can do about it?

    • abu Abdullah

      November 21, 2010 at 11:58 AM

      a. avoid airports and drive.
      b. follow legal process to at least put it on hold, as even president is told that there is not any lesser process available for now
      c. iyadobillah, face it. (request for a private room, if they allow)

  3. Saira

    December 15, 2010 at 12:04 PM

    Seeing the sacrificial animals used to be the saddest thing for me.. 25 years later, it still is. Great article, but I wished the pics of poor animals weren’t included.. sigh

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