Eidul Azha: Connectivity & Togetherness

Ishtiaq Ahmed
Gujar Khan: Eidul Azha, this time around, for me brought to the fore a mixed set of conflicting emotions; delighted to be with family and friends in Pakistan but at the same time truly missing my loving wife, sons, daughters, grand-children and friends in the UK -a natural occurrence.

The opportunity to celebrate Eidul Azha with family and friends in my village of birth after so many years was something that filled me with gratitude. Indeed, a long-term dream was fulfilled.

To be able to share the blessings of ‘Qurbani’ with the dearest and nearest further added to the elation of the occasion.

The night before the big day was spent in ‘gup shup’ with the family. This year my in-laws including my paternal aunt who is also my blessed mother-in-law, despite her declining years and poor health, insisted on travelling to our house which was once also her house before her marriage.I must acknowledge that throughout my life, I have been the beneficiary of loving care of my mother-in-law since the early age of four. In fact, I have had the privilege of being blessed with the loving care of two mothers: my mother by birth and my mother-in-law who nurtured and shaped my personality in the years before I joined my father in the UK at the age of about 11. After my mother’s death in 2000 (May Allah bless her soul, a woman of a powerful personality), I have become even closer to my mother-in-law.

The coming together of both sides of the family brought to the house a welcomed hustle and bustle, reviving and reinstating the fun of Eid, bringing back old cherished memories.

During the evening before the big day, we all got together in the preparations for the first day of Eid, sorting out the wear and the menu for the big occasion and finalising arrangements for the ‘Qurbani’.

We decided to do the ‘Qurbani’ immediately after the Eid prayer. Neighbours, friends from the cluster of residences which make up our village, were invited to take part in the ‘Qurbani Dua’. Alhamdulillah, they all turned up for the collective ‘dua’. This added to the sense of togetherness and social bond which is one of the most potent features of Eid in village life. Everybody pulls together on occasions such as this. It is one of the salient aspects of village life where by tradition the community comes together in celebration and adversity. Long may it live.
The evening before the Eid, also involved prepping for the Eid menu which this time around consisted of chicken ‘karahi’, meat ‘karahi’, ‘biryani’, sweet rice, ‘raita’, ‘Mithai’, fresh fruit with mangoes as a must item.
On the occasion of Eid, in our village, the evening before the big day lends itself to connecting with family and friends, preparing for Eid prayer and agreeing on schedules for multiple ‘Qurbanis’.

This year in the main village and in the cluster of connecting residences, about two dozen large ‘qurbanis’ were pledged, not to mention the smaller ‘qurbanis’ of goats and lambs. By tradition, at least one person from each household tries to attend the collective dua and be present at the Zubah of the animal.  This adds to the blessings of the occasion and enhances the community spirit.
Another long-lasting tradition of the village has been that after the Eid prayer, people collectively make a small visit to every house for the collective dua and for some food for ‘barakha’. After which the party moves on to the next household. This also adds to the sense of occasion and the community bond.For me, the day planned out involved: ‘fajar pryer’, getting ready for the Eid prayer which involved taking a shower and putting on white cotton suit which my cousin’s brother had specially prepared for me as an Eid gift.

After the Eid prayer, we did the collective du’a for the ‘Qurbani’ at my house, received a friend from the village, organised the distribution of ‘Qurbani’ meat throughout the village and cluster of collecting residences, and having the Eid dinner with my family. In the evening, we arrived at my in-laws in preparation for the ‘Qurbani’ here on the following day.
Arriving at the village of my mother-in-law was very special.

As I mentioned above it was here that I spent my formative years and attended the school. It is here that most of my childhood friends live. It was here that I was able to reunite with them on this very special day. I feel so blessed to be able to do this.