Universal Lessons of Eid

Celebrated by more than a billion Muslims worldwide, the three-day festival of Eid al-Adha ends today. The second of two Eids in the year, Eid al-Adha occurs at the close of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj. A time of both joy and reflection, the Eid was commemorated with jubilation and large-scale prayers by the six million plus Muslims in the U.S. The Eid and the pilgrimage preceding it teach a number of universal lessons, of value to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The season reminds us of equality, simplicity, sacrifice and community: values of utmost importance that we can all benefit from thinking about.

Equality: Pilgrims going for the Hajj wear two unstitched white pieces of cloth, one wrapped around the waist with a belt and the other draped over the upper body. The uniformity of dress, along with other restrictions, removes from visibility the markers of wealth and class distinction. Rich and poor look the same at the Hajj, all equal in their status as pilgrims. The principle of equality is visible in real and large-scale application as the believers perform the rites together in a common dress. Images of the Hajj thus remind us all of the basic equality that supercedes class distinction.

Simplicity: In numerous ways, the pilgrimage instills a simple way of living. Pilgrims travel with few possessions, spending nights in tents and under the open sky. Meals are simple, and the clothing basic. The immense simplicity with which the Hajj is conducted teaches us that we can do without the finer things in life. The complexity and ornamentation of modern urban society are not essential to our existence. Observing the Hajj brings us back to the basics and points out that all the "extras" we strive for are not necessarily the most important things in life. Particularly in the world we live in and in places like our university, it is appropriate to recall from time to time that life need not be as complex as we make it.

Sacrifice: A component of both the pilgrimage to Mecca and the Eid celebration worldwide is the act of sacrifice. The meat of sacrificed animals is distributed, with portions allotted to the poor and needy. Global relief agencies now make it possible to sponsor a sacrifice in places where food supplies are desperately low. Sacrifice teaches a person to give to the greater community at a cost to the individual. It works to counter feelings of greed. At the same time, sacrifice takes us away from a materialistic "market-mentality" in which one only gives things away in exchange for other goods. Sacrifice adds to society a fruitful element of benevolence, and it is a step towards greater economic justice.

Community: The Hajj brings together Muslims from around the world and unites them in a spiritual effort. In addition to its symbolic value, there is much to be said on the merits of having believers of all backgrounds and races physically present at the same place. The setting of the Hajj provides concrete evidence that the Muslim world is a single community. Celebrations of Eid are in some ways microcosms of the Hajj, with the entire community coming out to pray together and to greet one another for the festival. The Eid prayers feature the largest congregations of the year and are a manifestation of the unity of believers. A common faith is an affirmative tie that engenders a moral community transcendent over ethnic, racial and economic differences. At Eid prayers is Boston one sees Arabs, South Asians, African-Americans, East Asians, Caucasian-Americans and Muslims from other ethnic backgrounds praying side by side and embracing one another. Both the Hajj and the Eid foster a sense of community based on common values and principles, the type of community that multicultural societies like ours in the U.S. and at Harvard seek to build.

Malcolm X performed the Hajj and thereafter became Malik El-Shabazz Observing Muslims of all races living in unity and supporting one another, he shed any ideas of racial hatred. The Eid and the Hajj teach lessons on equality, simplicity, sacrifice and community that touch us all as human beings. Of the Hajj, El-Shabazz said, "I don't believe that motion picture cameras ever have filmed a human spectacle than my eyes took in." Reflection on this spectacle surely warrants our attention.

Aamir Abdul Rehman '99 is a social studies concentrator in Cabot House. His column appears on alternate Thursdays.