“Mum, we do have savings, we are willing to sacrifice”, my kids once whine. I wondered who had the idea first, but suddenly my three children requested to pry their savings. Usually we just ask them to set aside their allowances. We only motivate them so that they could have money for recreation, or to buy their favorite toys; only worldly motivation that we encourage them, in order to eager to save. But now they asked their savings used to buy animals for qurban. They chose to ‘slaughter’ their worldly ego and distribute it to others who are entitled to receive.
“Ok, we’ll look for animals that you want to sacrifice.”
“Hooray …” my children overjoyed when their parents allowed them to use their savings to sacrifice.
O Allah …please make my children to always be istiqomah in Your guidance.
That afternoon we headed to a large field, a vacant lot between home and children’s school. Strong odors and dirt that littered everywhere did not release my children’s spirit to choose themselves an animal for qurban. This would be their first sacrificial. They’ve never chosen their own animal as it was. My children were happy when they saw rows of animals for qurban.
“Mum this is good …, not that …this sheep… or this … !” Each one tried to select the appropriate one.
“That is expensive, we are looking for a cheaper one”, said one of my kids.
“Why do we look for a cheap one? Shame to Allah if we count for an inexpensive animal, Allah SWT is never count with us”, said the other.
I laughed to hear my children discussion of choosing the goat.
Finally we got an animal for qurban, happy, because the children have empathy for sharing with others and do not count the savings they have.
***
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ
A moment that my children’s awaited came, sacrifice! After they followed Eid al-Adha prayers, listened to the sermon and an explanation about the meaning of sacrificial, my children were ready to slaughter their sacrificial animal.
My eldest son swiftly ushered the goat to the slaughterhouse. Their father placed the goat neck on the slaughtered stone and my eldest son held the leg of the goat.
Bismillah with the name of The Lord….we intended qurban of my children to cleanse their souls of all the greed and assorted vices in the world.
Baaa….baaaa… …My youngest son stared his goat. He enthusiastically followed the ritual of slaughtered. Without any slightest disgust and fear continued the ritual until cutting and debarking the sacrificial animal.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Finally all the ritual of sacrifice is finish performed by our children.
ا للهم جعل اولا دنا كلهم صالحا و طاعة
