THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 29, 1996 TAG: 9604290031
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
More than 300 area Muslims gathered on the field behind Booker T. Washington High School on Sunday morning to celebrate the ``Festival of Sacrifice,'' which commemorates the prophet Abraham's willingness to give up everything for God - including his own son.
The Norfolk Masjid, a mosque in the 3400 block of Granby St., sponsored the event this year.
Imam Abdul Khabeer, the mosque's spiritual leader, delivered the sermon, calling on worshipers to sacrifice their own desires ``for the pleasure of Allah.''
He also urged the affluent among the crowd to share their wealth to keep Islamic humanitarian efforts alive in Hampton Roads.
``This,'' Khabeer said, ``is the day of sacrifice.''
There is no solid count of the Muslim population in Hampton Roads. But the event attracted Muslims from cities and towns across the region. Many were dressed in traditional attire with their children in tow.
Sitting in rows - men and boys in one section, women and girls in another - they prayed to Allah, recited traditional chants and dedicated themselves to the principle of putting his will before theirs.
``It simply emphasizes that this life has no meaning except to worship God and to sacrifice everything for his sake,'' said Mohammed Siddiqui, a service participant and professor at St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville.
Eid-ul-Adha, the festival's Arabic name, is observed annually by Muslims worldwide.
Millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca, an Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia, to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha there. The holiday marks the culmination of the pilgrimage season.
According to religious teachings, the holiday stems from Abraham's decision to sacrifice Ishmael soon after he and Ishmael had reached Mecca. Moments before Abraham was about to comply with God's order to sacrifice his son, God sent an angel to provide Abraham with a lamb instead.
As part of their custom, many of the worshipers traveled to area farms after Sunday's service to sacrifice a lamb or goat.
The meat is shared with the needy, and with friends and relatives. The point is to demonstrate unswerving obedience to God.
Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Zul-Hijja.
The original event is said to have taken place on that day in 1416. The day and time subsequently were made sacred in Islam.
The lesson of sacrificing personal desires for God is still a crucial one centuries later, worshipers said.
``To us, it's very important because we cannot see the faith today in this world unless you look back and see how faithful our prophets were,'' said Raouti Benallal of Virginia Beach, carrying his 2 1/2-year-old son, Yusuf.
``We are too materialistic today.'' MEMO: Muslims make the pilgrimage for Eid-ul-Adha/A4
ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
The Virginian-Pilot
Hundreds of Muslims from across Hampton Roads gathered at Booker T.
Washington High School in Norfolk on Sunday to observe Eid-ul-Adha,
a holiday that stems from Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son
Ishmael in the year 1416.
Abdus-Shakur Abdul-Jabbar and his son Abdus-Shahid, 3, attended the
gathering, where Imam Abdul Khabeer, of the Norfolk Masjid mosque,
called on worshipers to sacrifice their own desires ``for the
pleasure of Allah.''
by CNB