Eid al-Azha is called the "Festival of the Sacrifice" and is one of the two most important holidays of the Islamic calendar. It honors the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God's command. But, before Abraham could sacrifice his son, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts: one part of the share is given to the poor and needy; second part is for the home, third is given to relatives.
This holiday teaches us the true meaning of sacrifice, though not literally sacrificing our beloved ones for the love of Allah. The true meaning of sacrifice is when we overlook our own needs and desires in order to do good for someone else. However, Eid-ul-Azha is no longer celebrated to honor sacrifice; rather it has become yet another excuse for us to indulge in mindless consumption. Each and every type of shop advertises their goods; every store offers a new kind of bargain in the name of an Eid sale.
But at the end of the day, all our material possessions only end up taking space in our homes. They neither bring us joy after the initial purchase, nor do they serve any meaningful purpose. In order to feel fulfilled and at peace we must look beyond our own greed. A house full of things never made a person feel happy at the end of the day. It is what we do for others that gives us lasting joy.
Think of those that crave all that you take for granted: the safety of a home, a place to rest your head and food on your table. One person may not be able to change the world, but you can change someone’s life for the better for sure. Life can only hold any meaning if you can bring happiness through your actions to fellow human beings, if you have a positive impact on another person’s life. That is the only type of life worth living.
So this Eid, instead of treating yourself to that shiny new gadget you’ve been meaning to buy, do something nice for someone else. Trust me, it feels a thousand times better to carry out a selfless act of kindness than to satiate your own greed.