The men all garbed in a uniform of white wrapped in exactly the same fashion. The women simply covered from head to toe. Presidents, ministers, doctors, engineers, businessmen, plumbers, drivers, janitors, black, white, yellow, brown, Arab, Persian, American, African, all doing exactly the same thing in the same exact place. They all turn towards their Lord and pray.
Allah will not accept their deeds based on their ethnicity or their social class. He will not look at them based on how much money they have or what sex they are. He will listen to his worshiper, the followers of his final messenger Muhammad, based on how much faith and conviction the person has in his/her heart.
Meanwhile those who were not blessed with the chance to make this once in a lifetime pilgrimage are in their homes fasting and praying. Worshipping their creator and thanking Him for all the blessings He has bestowed upon them.
Then they sleep and wake up to welcome 10 Dhul Hijah. The day of the Big Feast. The second Muslim holiday of the year. In memory of the day Prophet Ishmael, son of Prophet Abraham was spared from a slaughtering. When Allah sent Prophet Abraham a dream that he was to take his son's life by slaughtering him and Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael complied with all the faith in the world that Allah knows best. A sign of complete surrender. A sign of true faith and belief. Allah spared Abraham and Ishmael and at the last minute sent down a sheep for him to slaughter instead.
Now thousands of years later, Muslims around the world on this day slaughter a sacrifice and give out parts of it to the needy and have a feast with the other part for friends and family.
On the holiest of days, we as Muslims show a rare unity. At home and at the holy land of Mecca.
Happy Eid!
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