Makkah (UNA/SPA) - Worshippers performed Eid al-Adha prayers at the Grand Mosque in a spiritual and religious atmosphere.
The Imam and Preacher of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Maher bin Hamad Al-Muaiqly, led the prayer. In his sermon, he urged Muslims to fear God and worship Him, and to draw closer to Him by obeying Him in ways that please Him and avoiding what displeases Him and what He prohibits.
His Eminence said: “Eid is a time of joy, happiness, compassion, love, tolerant souls, and connected kinship ties. So, celebrate your Eid, maintain kinship ties, and thank your Lord for bringing you to these days. Increase your remembrance of Him and glorify Him. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is stated: “Umar, may God be pleased with him, used to say takbir in his dome in Mina, and the people of the mosque would hear him and glorify Him, and the people of the markets would say takbir until Mina would shake with glorification.”
His Eminence added that Allah has chosen the pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allah from among His creation, and the Most Merciful boasts about you to His angels. So congratulations to you, as you have intended to visit the greatest pillar of Islam, the trustee of the Ancient House, responding to the call from every deep valley, calling upon a Generous Lord, and asking a Great King, who, when He bestows, is generous, and when He gives, He enriches. No sin is too great for Him to forgive, nor any favor too great for Him to give. So He, the Almighty, has singled you out with a great ritual, which the prophets and messengers of Allah followed one another in succession, for the religion of the prophets is one, and they all came with the worship of one Lord, (Indeed, this, your nation, is one nation, and I am your Lord, so worship Me).
Sheikh Al-Muaiqly pointed out that the rituals of Hajj lead to noble objectives, the highest of which is the monotheism of God Almighty. When the Prophet’s camel settled on the desert, he declared monotheism, ascended Mount Safa, and called out monotheism, sometimes declaring Talbiyah, sometimes declaring His oneness, and sometimes declaring His greatness. All of these are remembrances that confirm the monotheism of God in His Lordship and Divinity, His names and attributes, and that the life of the true believer revolves entirely around the monotheism of the Creator, (Say: “Indeed, my prayer and my rites of sacrifice, my life and my death are for God, Lord of the worlds. * No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.”). God is the One who is unique in His blessings and giving, His gifts and blessings, and He alone is deserving of worship. The Muslim does not place an intermediary between himself and God. In His worship, there is no close angel, nor a sent prophet, let alone anyone else. He calls upon none but God, nor seeks help from anyone but God, nor does he sacrifice or make vows except to God alone. Monotheism is the origin and foundation of the religion. No good deed is accepted without it, and without it, deeds are in vain, even if they are like mountains. (Indeed, whoever associates others with God - God has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.)
His Eminence explained that just as Allah Almighty commanded us to worship Him alone and to be sincere in our worship, He also commanded us to be gentle and merciful, and this is emphasized during these seasons when there is crowding. On the Day of Sacrifice, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not asked about anything that had been brought forward or delayed except that he said: “Do it and there is no blame.” Then a man came to him and said: “I did the sa’i before I performed the tawaf.” He said: “There is no blame, there is no blame.” Narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan. Gentleness is an adornment to anything, and is removed from something, so be gentle and you will be reconciled, and be lenient and you will be rewarded. Allah Almighty has spoken the truth: “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; he is concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.”
The Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque addressed the pilgrims of the House of God, saying: “You are in the greatest days of this world, and the most beloved to God Almighty, so fill them with obedience to God and remembrance of Him, and increase your praise and thanks to Him, for the people who receive the greatest reward during Hajj are those who remember God the most. Hajj is days and nights, beginning and ending with the remembrance of the Great and Exalted. In Sunan Abi Dawood, it is said: (Circumambulating the House, going between Safa and Marwa, and stoning the Jamarat were made to establish the remembrance of God), and the Noble Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, was keen to unify the ranks and unite the word, and to reject discord and division. Hajj is a meeting and unity, equality and brotherhood, for our Lord is one, our Prophet is one, our Book is one, and the origin of our creation is one.
The Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque emphasized that one of the most important deeds during these days is to draw closer to Allah by slaughtering sacrificial animals. A camel that is five years old is sufficient, a cow that is two years old is sufficient, a sheep that is six months old is sufficient, and a goat that is one year old is sufficient. An obviously one-eyed animal, a sick animal that is obviously sick, a lame animal that is obviously lame, or an emaciated animal that has no marrow are not sufficient. One sheep is sufficient for a man and his family, and a camel or a cow is sufficient for seven. The days of sacrifice are four, starting from after the Eid prayer until sunset on the last day of Tashreeq. Slaughtering during the day is better than at night. The Sunnah is for a Muslim to eat from his sacrifice, give some as gifts, and give in charity. So hasten to follow the Sunnah of your Messenger, thank Allah for guiding you, and glorify Him for guiding you. (And their meat does not reach Allah, nor their blood, but what reaches Him is piety. From among you, thus He has subjected them to you that you may glorify God for having guided you, and give good tidings to the doers of good.
Dr. Al-Muaiqly stated that God Almighty has bestowed upon the Land of the Two Holy Mosques, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its leadership and people, the honor of serving the pilgrims to His Sacred House and the visitors to the Mosque of His Noble Prophet. They have sacrificed their most precious possessions for the sake of the pilgrims and visitors, ensuring their safety, and facilitating the means of goodness for them, so that they may perform their rituals with ease, comfort, security, and safety. So, thanks be to God, the Generous, the Most Merciful, and then to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his faithful Crown Prince. We ask God to reward them on behalf of the Muslims with the best reward. We also pray to all those whom God Almighty has honored with serving His guests, that they be included in the good news of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: (Two eyes which the Fire shall not touch, and he mentioned among them: And an eye which spends the night guarding in the cause of God.) That is so. And whoever honors the symbols of God - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
His Eminence mentioned that today two Eids have come together: Eid al-Adha and Friday. Whoever witnesses the Eid has not been required to observe Friday prayers, as in Sunan Abi Dawud: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Two Eids have come together on this day of yours, so whoever wishes may observe Friday prayers, and we will gather together.” So, fear Allah, servants of Allah, and comply with the instructions of your Prophet, so that you may achieve happiness in this world and the hereafter. Seize these virtuous times and fill them with righteous deeds. It is incumbent upon you, pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allah, to protect this great ritual from everything that taints it or diminishes its reward, because an accepted Hajj brings no less than Paradise.
Prayers were also performed in all governorates, centers and villages of the region.
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