Qadian, May 28 (Gurpreet Singh) — The festival of Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated today with great devotion and religious fervor at Masjid Aqsa. Maulana Hafiz Makhdum Sharif led the Eid prayers and delivered the Eid sermon.
Addressing the gathering, he said that Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and every Muslim who is financially and physically capable should perform Hajj after fulfilling family responsibilities. He explained that Eid-ul-Adha is known as the festival of sacrifice and is observed in remembrance of the sacrifices of Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hazrat Hajra, and their son Hazrat Ismail.
He further said that according to the Holy Quran, neither the meat nor the blood of sacrificed animals reaches Allah; rather, it is the sincerity, intention, and compassion for humanity of the person offering the sacrifice that matter.
He emphasized that performing Hajj and offering sacrifices are not acts of display but are meant to express gratitude towards Allah and fulfill duties toward humanity. He added that the spirit of sacrifice reached its highest level through Prophet Muhammad, who taught people to sacrifice their body, mind, and wealth in fulfilling the rights of both Allah and humanity.
Quoting the Fifth Caliph of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, he said that true righteousness is the essence that reaches Allah. During Eid-ul-Adha, Muslims pledge to fulfill the rights of Allah and humanity with sincerity and compassion.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of India also gave the message that people should sacrifice selfish desires and serve humanity without discrimination based on religion. They said the true purpose of Eid can only be fulfilled by helping the poor and becoming a support for the needy.
Special prayers were also offered for world peace and for the unity and integrity of India.
On the occasion, people belonging to different religions visited the Ahmadiyya headquarters to extend Eid greetings to the Muslim community. They embraced their Muslim brothers and conveyed their best wishes.
Gurikbal Singh Mahal, constituency incharge of the Shiromani Akali Dal in Qadian, said that all religions should always be respected and every religious festival should be celebrated with love and harmony.
Among those present were Press Club Qadian President Gurdilbagh Singh Neeta Mahal, Gagandeep Singh Ginny Bhatia, MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Narendra Kumar Bhatia, Dr. Akashdeep Singh, Avtar Singh Bhatia, BJP leader Gaurav Rajput, AAP constituency incharge Jagrup Singh Sekhwan, administrative officials, village panchayat members, social workers, and prominent local residents.
Also present were Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Secretary Fazlul Rahman Bhatti, spokesperson K. Tariq Ahmad, and Secretary Ataul Momin.
Photo Caption: Political leaders and others extending Eid greetings to members of the Muslim community.
KL JIT WALIA
