AS the nation and the Muslim fraternity celebrate Eid-ul-Adha today, we need to take time to reflect, individually, on the message of this festival being celebrated by the Moslem community.

The essential message is about trusting God to the exclusion of everyone and everything else, which is a message inherent in the scriptures of every religion.

According to the Quran, one night Prophet Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his son Ishmael in the name of Allah (God).

Upon awakening, the prophet related what he had dreamt to Ishmael, whereupon the dutiful and obedient son responded: “Do what you have been commanded to do, O Father! By Allah’s grace you will find me one of the patient ones.”

By Allah’s grace – By God’s grace. However we phrase it, it is only by the grace of the Supreme Father that all things are achievable.

The story of the patriarchal Abraham and his dutiful son Ishmael, and the absolute faith they both reposed in the Supreme Father of us all should make each member of the human race to stop and think whether they should not display the same mercy they expect from the Heavenly Father, who protects all those who believe in Him and find the unbeliever an abomination.

And if God is a merciful and compassionate Father, as all our Holy books say, then it behooves each of us to act justly and with compassion toward our fellow man if we expect his mercy and glory to bless our lives.

Nowhere do our scriptures advise us to be cruel to the weak and the ignorant, and all those who cause hurt to their fellow humans will be punished in like measure by the Lord, inasmuch as He rewards the truly faithful.

Like Abraham and Job, sometimes he tests our faith, but our faith should prove as steadfast as the patriarchal Abraham and his faithful and dutiful son Ishmael.

The sacrifice of domestic animals and the distribution of the meat to family, friends and the poor is a symbolical act replicating God’s magnanimity to us. However, the Holy Quran says: “Their flesh and their blood reach not Allah but the devotion from you reaches him.”

May the prayers of our Muslim fraternity bear the fruit of peace and prosperity for this country that we all call home.

The Board-of-Directors, management and staff of GNNL wish the nation, and particularly the Moslem community, Eid Mubarak on this festival of Eid-ul-Adha.