TRADING ON SOFT LINES -
By Saleh al Shaibany -
Very soon we are going to enjoy the bounties of the Eid blessings. I don’t only mean the good food you are going to eat or new clothes you are planning to wear but to remember the power that spared you to celebrate the day.
For those who are challenged by poor health, it is the time to be grateful that they have lived another Ramadhan to seek solace from God. Eid is the day to ask for forgiveness and so we can be released from many pangs of guilt that for years have accumulated in our heart. It is also the day that will give us the opportunity to flush out all the hatred that has built up in our system.
Eid again is not about noisy parties, holidays and mere shakes of hands. It is yet another milestone to settle disputes with families and friends. If you have been seeking revenge, then it is the day you come to terms with your quarrel by letting it go. The best way to do it, may I dare say, is to reach out for your sworn enemies and wish them "Eid Mubarak" and bury the hatchet. And for those who have the wrong idea that the blessings of Eid are only confined to Muslims, then think again. In the international neighbourhood that we live in, it is wrong not to stretch the hand of friendship to non-Muslims to wish them well.
Look at it this way, if your neighbour has a niggling problem that you can do something about, then ignoring it will not be in the spirit of the Eid mood. The more good you do in this blessed holiday, the better you cleanse your heart from bad feelings that is slowly killing you. If we get our attitudes right, then this Eid will be the day you renew your allegiance with people who affect your daily life.
If you are planning to spend too much money this time, then refrain from doing so. Eid is not about wasting but shining the light for the under-privileged. Think of people who cannot afford to pay for a traditional Eid lunch. If someone has stolen your new pair of shoes after the Eid prayers, then blame the society rather than the thief. Perhaps we did not extend enough charity to the poor prior to the blessed day. It is something to think about the second time around if we have missed it this time, in terms of charity.
However, with progress, we often feel that religious festivities are old fashion. Progress has many challenges but the real issue is to stick to what has been tested and prevailed upon. Many of us are ashamed to be linked to God for fear of being dismissed as backward. What we fail to understand, however, is that religion is a test of faith not only in ourselves but life. Today, as we put our faith in progress, we continue to hope that it will solve many of our modern day problems. However, we cannot remove faith from religion and associate it with contemporary customs. Religion is for all time and eternity while progress changes when we want to change it. In other words, if we put our faith in the mercy of changing times then we might as well worship the computer chip instead of the Creator of the universe.
With the right attitude, Eid can be the beginning of the rest of our lives. We should be thankful that we have survived this long to be able to join others in celebrating the occasion. Death waits for no one and some of us may not be around for next year's Eid.
