“Come here fast and look! Dad and bhai have brought the cow!” Ibrahim called out to all the siblings from the gate, where the cow was getting off the truck.

“Really? Has the cow come?” Hamna, his sister asked with mixed expressions of joy and surprise and ran out to see the cow.

“Wow, what a beautiful cow!” said Hamna when she saw the cow descending.

Ibrahim nodded as he touched the cow with love.

“Dad, you got a great cow and this time it is more beautiful than ever,” Laiba, their elder sister said while coming out from the house.

After tying the cow inside and thoroughly checking it, Dad went inside to take some rest because it is always a hard and tiring task to select and buy sacrificial animals from cattle farms and markets.

When Hamna noticed her Dad going inside, she hurriedly took out her mobile phone and handed it to her brother and said, “Bhai, quickly make a nice picture of me with a cow, I will post it on Facebook.”

“Ha, ha, ha! How would we know who is the cow among the two of you?” Ibrahim teased looking at Hamna posing.

Hamna ran towards him angrily, Laiba stopped her on the way while keeping one hand on her mouth so that she does not burst into laughter.

“Take a picture and let everyone know what a beautiful cow we have,” Laiba said.

“I am dreaming of the barbecue,” Hamna said while her mouth was watering.

“Girls don’t barbeque, we’ll do that. After all the sacrificial animals belong more to us than you girls!” Ibrahim said.

“What! Is this cow yours only?” Laiba angrily demanded to know.

“Yes, of course! Will you walk him in the streets, will you feed the cow? Will you take all the responsibility? So this makes it clear the cow belongs to us more than you! Right brother?” Ibrahim asked his elder brother.

He winked at his elder brother to join him in the teasing and together they started joking with their sisters. Hamna understood their intent, so she roasted them back, “Okay then, you guys make delicious barbecue and we will only be eating with joy.”

Hamna and Laiba both laughed. The siblings were teasing and having fun while their grandfather was standing in the window of his room listening to them. He enjoyed their fun, but then thought the kids have actually forgotten the meaning of this auspicious occasion. So he decided to call all four of them and talk.

He called them into his room, “Well kids, I was listening to you, I was happy the way you siblings are enjoying together, but I am upset that perhaps you have forgotten the real meaning of Eidul Azha.”

All the four children became silent. Then their grandfather explained.

“Eidul Azha is celebrated in remembrance of the sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim was about to give for the love and obedience of Allah. The animal is not only to be used for cooking, barbecue or the intention of showing off, but also taking care of the animals, feeding them well and sacrificing them for the sole purpose of seeking Allah’s pleasure while following in the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim.

“After the sacrifice, the sacrificial animal’s meat is distributed to neighbours, relatives and poor people with respect and love. If our intentions are right, we can make whatever we want from that meat, but we must pray to Allah to accept our sacrifice and worship,” their grandfather concluded.

The siblings were a bit ashamed for they had been engrossed in thinking of making scrumptious meals and showing off the animal. They almost forgot what actually Eidul Azha meant. The siblings then promised they would keep the importance of the occasion in mind and enjoy accordingly.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 9th, 2022