As we mark yet another Eid-ul-Adha, by the Grace of the Almighty, it is important to reflect on one of the central rituals of the day which is sacrificial slaughter of an animal.
This Sunnah of our father Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam is a celebration of the spirit of his sacrifice which set him apart among prophets Alayhimus Salaam, epitomising his total dedication to the Almighty.
Here was a man who was prepared to follow a Divinely-Inspired dream of offering his only son to the Almighty! The Almighty’s intervention of substituting Ismail with a lamb came only after Ibrahim’s resolve to complete the sacrifice was beyond doubt.
Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam’s sacrificial spirit was total. However, Ismail’s submission to the will of the Almighty was equally remarkable. He was only a teenager who could have argued with his father to the contrary.
He could have questioned his father’s sanity. Yet, Isma’il’s Alayhis Salaam made no second-guesses. Isma’il’s Alayhis Salaam only plea was asking his father to be quick in the execution of the Divine Command so as to minimize his father’s emotional anguish and his own pain.
When we look at his example, we realise that his character was a product of his upbringing. His father nurtured and raised him as Allah-fearing. For this reason, he understood what Divine Will was all about to which he unconditionally submitted.
This level of father-son relationship sets a model for all of us to emulate. It is a degree of obedience which among other things earned Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam the title, Khaleel-ul-llah (Friend of Allah). Out of such acts, Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam would alone be called Ummah!
Parental responsibility in nurturing obedience and instilling discipline is paramount. It is an amanah which cannot be abdicated. We have the responsibility of finding ways of connecting to and understanding what our youth are up to. Errant tendencies have to be nipped in the bud before they blossom into incorrigible habitual traits and character.
When Isma’il Alayhis Salaam asked his father to be quick, he had shown a dimension of his concern and expectation from his father to hasten their prospective ordeal. The challenges facing our children today constitute an ordeal they have to grapple with. Let us be supportive in addressing their needs and expectations without compromising the Divine Will.
May He strengthen us in creating communities in which children grow up Allah-fearing in the same way Isma’il Alayhis Salaam was raised. Aameen. 
Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak!
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