`Eid Sa`eed - Happy `Eid

`Eid Al-Adha, the most important Muslim holiday, will begin on Saturday, 12/30/06, and end on Monday, 1/1/07. The first day of this holiday marks the date when Muslims beleive that Abraham was to sacrfice his 1st born son, Ishmael, but G'd pardoned this sacrifice and summoned Abraham to sacrifice a sheep in his place. The saying of someone being a "scapegoat" originates from this event. Jews and Christians beleive that the object of sacrifice was to have been Abraham's sceond born son, Isaac. Muslims love and beleive in the prophethood of Isaac although they do not beleive that he was the one to have been sacrificed.

Civilizations prior to Abraham practiced human sacrifices to gain favor with a diety or to atone for sin. Through this story, G'd reminds us that he does not desire or need a man to be sacrificed in order to forgive and purify humanity. Jews and Muslims agree on this point while Christians differ. This interpretation negates the possibility that G'd would sacrifice Jesus for the atonement of humanity.

May you all have a blessed `Eid and walk in the spirit of Abraham.