It was a pleasant morning. A soft cool breeze was blowing, there wasn’t a single cloud in the clear blue sky. The atmosphere was full of the bleating of sheeps and the mowing of cows submerged with laughter from the kids.

Eidul Azha was only a week away. The day started with my sisters Amina and Fatima asking my father to buy animals for Eidul Azha. This was due to peer pressure as their friends had already gotten their animals. At the end of the conversation, it was clear we (I and my father with my brother younger Hashim) are going to visit our village to buy a sheep from there.

We departed early in the morning. It was an hour long journey, a frustrating one indeed as my brother Hashim kept asking the same question over and over, “Are we there yet?”

Getting tired, I changed the conversation by asking if he knew why we celebrated Eidul Azha.

And in response I got a sheepish “No,”

I calmly said, “Hashim, it is a part of who we are as Muslims. It is celebrated in the commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim when he saw a dream that Allah asked him to sacrifice his son Isma’il as an act of obedience to God. The devil tempted Prophet Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son. But ignoring the devil, he blindfolded himself and was ready to sacrifice his son. His act was admired by Allah and a sheep was sent by Allah’s to take the place of Prophet Isma’il.

“Thus, Hashim, we celebrate Eidul Azha to remember the sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim was ready to give in God’s obedience.”

By the time I finished, we had arrived at our native village. We met some relatives and friends, then bought the sheep along with fresh green grass.

It was already noon by the time we returned home. My siblings and I immediately started feeding the sheep with the grass we had bought along with us. Amina was so delighted that she invited her friends over to show off.

One of Amina’s friends kept teasing our and other sacrificial animals by pulling their ears, and poking sticks in their tummies and a lot more, though warned by my father not to do so. She didn’t pay attention at all, so she ultimately had to face the music.

She is in the hospital now as one of the goats standing (in its defence) had hit her with its horns. Let it be a lesson that these animals should be taken care of well by us. We can play with them with tenderness and feed then well but not tease or hurt them. Teasing will hurt and irritate them and they can retaliate in return.

They also understand the language of love, so pet them and enjoy with them while they are with you.

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