Happy Eid al-Adha!

Today is a festival for all Muslims around the world - Eid al-Adha. Here at SUNDOM, we wish all Muslims a happy holiday.

عيد غوربن، نتمنى للجميع السعادة والسلام

The core meanings of Eid al-Adha (also known as Qurban Bayrami) are loyalty, obedience, sharing, and compassion.

The festival originates from the trial of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham): he dreamed that God commanded him to sacrifice his beloved son Ishmael as a test of his loyalty. When both father and son submitted to God's will, God sent a ram to be sacrificed in the son's place, signifying that the true test had been passed—the real sacrifice lies in restraining one's desires and practicing obedience.

Based on this, Eid al-Adha carries several key meanings:

1. Absolute obedience to the Creator – It emphasizes Tawakkul (reliance on God) in faith, meaning complete trust in and submission to a higher will.

2. Restraining desires and greed – The true sacrifice is not the slaughtering of an animal but the "slaughtering" of one's inner greed, jealousy, and selfishness. By offering something precious (such as an animal), one is reminded to let go of excessive attachment to material possessions.

3. Sharing and compassion – The meat from the sacrificed animal must be divided into three parts: one for oneself, one for relatives and friends, and one for the poor and needy. This symbolizes the circulation of wealth and care for the vulnerable, ensuring no one is left out of the festival's blessings.

4. Family and community unity – Family members gather, neighbors exchange meat, and bonds of kinship and faith are strengthened. In China, various ethnic groups—such as the Hui, Uyghur, and Kazakh—celebrate in their own unique ways, reflecting a diverse yet unified pattern.

5. Gratitude and spiritual renewal – By commemorating the Prophet's trial, believers are reminded that hardships in their own lives may also contain blessings—just as the seemingly tragic command to sacrifice ultimately led to a merciful substitute.

In short, modern celebrations (animal sacrifice, festival prayers, social visits) are practices that translate abstract faith into concrete good deeds. The ultimate message of Eid al-Adha is not "killing" but giving up lower desires for the sake of higher values.