Nation celebrates Eidul Azha with religious fervour
Pakistan
Congregational prayers were held across the country to mark the religious festival.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Eidul Azha was celebrated in Pakistan on Saturday with religious fervour to commemorate the great sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS).
The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for well-being of the Ummah and progress, prosperity and security of the country.
Congregational prayers were held across the country to mark the religious festival, along with sermons highlighting the significance of the event and the philosophy behind sacrifice.
In the federal capital, the main Eid congregation was held at Faisal Mosque where federal ministers, politicians and parliamentarians present in Islamabad, Muslim diplomats and notables joined thousands of faithful in prayers.
After offering Eid prayers, the faithful slaughtered their sacrificial animals in pursuance of Sunnat-e-Ibrahimi. The meat of sacrificed animals was distributed among relatives and the poor.
In Lahore, main Eid congregation was held at Badshahi Mosque while in Rawalpindi, main Eid congregation was held at Liaquat Bagh, while in Karachi‚ large congregations were held at Gulshan-e-Jinnah‚ Nishtar Park‚ National Stadium and Eidgah Nazimabad.
To celebrate Eidul Azha, Muslims sacrifice animals including cow, goat, sheep and camel according to their purchasing power on any of the three days of Eid. People this year have suffered a lot due to the mounting prices of the sacrificial animals.
The local administrations of different cities and towns have also made special arrangements for disposal of offal and other solid waste during three days of Eidul Azha.
The administration in all big cities has further beefed up the security for Eid. A contingency plan has been issued to ensure and maintain law and order, safety and security of the general public. Police personnel have been deployed outside the mosques and public places for security purpose.
PM felicitates nation, Islamic world on auspicious occasion of Eidul Azha
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif felicitated the Pakistani nation and Islamic world on the occasion of Eidul Azha and urged everyone to keep in their thoughts the people suffering oppression in Palestine and Kashmir.
In a message on the occasion of Eidul Azha 1446 Hijri, he said, “I felicitate from the core of my heart the whole Pakistani nation and the Islamic world on the blessed occasion of Eidul Azha and the magnificent Islamic ritual of Hajj.”
“These blessed days remind of the exemplary faithfulness, sacrifice and selflessness of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS),” he added.
He said Allah Almighty liked the devotion, sacrifice and selflessness of these two great personalities so much that he gave status of worship to their acts.
The prime minister prayed Allah Almighty to accept the prayers and sacrifices of the whole Pakistani nation and the Muslim Ummah. “These blessed occasions should come in our lives again and again. Amen,” he remarked.
He said, “The message of Eidul Azha is not only limited to the sacrifice of the animal but it also gave a lesson of sacrifice of self, our wishes and interests for the sake of higher objectives.”
“This spirit of sacrifice inculcates the qualities of patience, courage, sacrifice and altruism in the humans, which can be a foundation for the progress of a nation,” he observed.
He said, “Today our beloved country Pakistan is on the path of progress and at this moment we have to embrace the spirit of solidarity and sacrifice.”
The prime minister said the blessed occasion of Eidul Azha reminded everyone that the path of sacrifice led to success.
“Like it happened during the recent Indian attack, when the whole nation stood united and solid against the enemy sending a clear message that the Pakistani nation will not hesitate to offer any sacrifice for its defence and dignity,” he said adding, “Similarly we have to persistently show unity and resolve to surmount the internal difficulties.”
He said, “We have to realize our economic and social responsibilities and have to pool all our resources to make our country strong, prosperous and self-sufficient.”
“This Eid not only teaches us the importance of sacrifice of our life and property but also educates that a nation achieves the destination of greatness when it works not only for individual progress but also for collective welfare and progress,” he continued.
The prime minister said, “Today we should also especially remember our brothers and sisters of Palestine who are victim of merciless and inhuman cruelty and starvation. Similarly, we also reiterate our unwavering solidarity with the brave people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, who are continuing their just and valiant struggle for decades, for their right to self-determination.”
“We will always be their voice and will support their momentous struggle,” he stressed.
Shehbaz Sharif said, “Today we have to pledge to our coming generations the kind of Pakistan where there is an atmosphere of love, brotherhood and unity. We have to move forward with the resolve to make Pakistan appear at the world level as a strong and successful country.”
He said, “The dream of progress and prosperity of Pakistan will become a reality when we will give priority to our national interest over our personal interest.”
He said, “The message of Eidul Azha inspires us so to rise above our personal wishes and interests and think only about our country’s welfare and wellbeing and act to achieve the lofty goals. Certainly this spirit and unity will change the destiny of Pakistan.”
