Submitting to God’s will brings inner peace
While it is always nice to celebrate the differences in the various religions and cultures that exist, it is also nice to recognize the commonalities as well.
In regards to religion, one of the similarities which exist between Islam and other monotheistic faiths is the belief in the great personalities that are shared by them, such as Prophet Abraham. He is a central figure; thereby, known as the Father of the three monotheistic religions; hence, they are called the Abrahamic faiths.
In Islam, the rituals performed in Hajj (a pilgrimage to Mecca Muslims must perform once in their life, if possible) are re-enactments of the trials that occurred in his and his family’s life. This week, Muslims all over the world will celebrate “Eid al Adha,” commemorating the willingness of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismael by God’s command. This is a demonstration of the absolute submission to God’s will, which is inhibiting the self from following one’s own wishes. A person can only do this when one has total trust in their Creator and accept that whatever God does is always with wisdom and goodness. In the story of Prophet Abraham, a miracle took place whereby his son was replaced with a lamb. Both Prophet Abraham and his son were tested with their faith.
An example of trust, or lack of, can be further illustrated in the story of the Caliph, Harun al-Rashid. One day he and his wife went for a walk on the beach. They saw a man, Bahlool, building castles in the sand, announcing that whoever bought this sand castle, he will pray to God to bless him or her with a palace in Heaven. The Caliph laughed it off, but his wife had faith and trust. She asked Bahlool the price of the sand castle. Bahlool told her that it was for one dirham. She paid him and asked for his prayers.
That night, the Caliph dreamed he was in a beautiful place with a beautiful palace, which had his wife’s name on it. He was so delighted, he started to go inside, but was stopped by a guard. The guard told him only the owner of the castle could go inside. Harun al-Rashid woke up distraught. He went to the beach looking for Bahlool, who was building sand castles. The Caliph asked him the price. Bahlool said the price was the kingdom of the entire world. The Caliph was stunned. He questioned Bahlool about the difference in price from just the day before. Bahlool answered that on the day before, he had not seen the castle; now that he had seen it, he could not give it to him for the same price. Initially, the Caliph did not trust Bahlool, until he saw the castle for himself.
Similarly, trust in the Creator means absolute acceptance. A descendent and successor of Prophet Muhammad, Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq was asked regarding the verse in the Holy Qur’an, “And whoever puts his trust in God, then God suffices him” (65:3). The Imam elaborated: “There are various degrees of trust in God. One of them is that you should put your trust in God in all your affairs, being well-pleased with whatever God does to you, knowing for certain that he does not cease in His goodness and grace towards you, and that the command therein rests with Him. So put your trust in God, leaving that to Him and relying upon Him in regard to that and everything other than that.”
Relying on God relieves any burdens or worries that weigh heavy on the heart and mind. Thus, submitting wholeheartedly to the Lord allows everyone to feel like every day is a celebratory Eid.