Aidil Azhar - The Haj

"What you are looking for is where you are looking from"..
St, Francis of Assisi as quoted by.Mooji.

It has been advised by the ancients that one is to look for a quiet   space away from all the busyness of life, detached nd not concerned with what is out there in order that one may dwell within and become one with that which resides in the Heart of hearts. In this day and age this may seem impossible for most of us, but for those who have the will and desire to attain to this state of mindfulness, the situation will eventually present itself as it does for me where i am at. I am living at the moment with my daughter who has just left for work leaving me alone in this apartment on the topmost floor with no neighbors to content with. With a soft guitar music floating in my head and a lap top to work from I am as contented as I can ever expect to be, making the best out of the situation I share my thoughts and feelings on this auspicious day of Aidil Adzhar or the celebration of the Haj.
All over the Muslim world there is a celebration going on and sacrifices made as ordained by the All Mighty as a memory of when Abraham was asked by the Lord to sacrifice his son, Ismail as a token of his faith in the Lord. This test of faith in one who had only two sons after years of not having any was short of cruelty towards Abraham but he gave in and made the sacrifice which was intervened by God and Abraham passed his test. Here the Judeo Christian and Muslim faith began the rift of faith as the Jews claimed that Abraham offered Isaac instead of ismail. The question is would Sarah had agreed to allow Abraham to sacrifice her only begotten son Isaac? Highly doubtful as Sarah was said to be a very demanding wife, but then again who cares, only God knows the truth.
The Muslims today are the followers of the Ismail lineage whose mother Hajar and himself were abandoned to the desert driven by Sarah's envy and jealousy or so it is said. But again who knows what ruly transpired in the history of three of the world's great religious traditions, WallahuAllam, only God knows. However to this day Muslims offer the same sacrifice in the form of domesticated animals such as sheep, goats and cattle to commemorate the event that took place thousands of years ago. Today however most animal lovers and zealous religious groups        have made this day infamous by declaring that the act is barbaric, a cruelty to the animals. Again Islam is being demonized for the sacrifice of animals made in the name of God. 
Islam has become the boogeyman of the century where religions are concerned and for as long as your name carries a Ibni or son of travelling around the world can be a nasty adventure especially at the airports. To look for the ugly or evil nature of something is not too difficult but to look for its goodness is a challenge cause it is like admitting that the thing is true or right in the first place. Islam has her ups and down just as in any religion East or West, the religions themselves are not the problem but it is the followers that mislead and set one against the other claiming that God is always on our side and not theirs. Ours is the one true and eternal religion while the rest are heathens and infidels destined for hell, like we know better than He who created it all. I am more than ever. am convinced that the faith one has about God is a sacred covenant between me and God and not for rhe speculation or judgment of others. 
Without doubt and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I still maintain that, it is in knowing who I am that it is possible for me to know my Lord. While i am still searching and floating in the dark as to my own true nature, the recognition of my Lord is still veiled by the mind created illusions that i am conditioned with. My petty thoughts and deluded understanding of what is real and what is illusion in this life will never allow me to have a clear vision of the Most High, Just as the haze caused by the burning of forests in Sumatra hides the clear blue skies above, similarly my mind will never penetrate to behold that which is permanent and all abiding, Lord of the Universe. 
I may not be able to fulfill the Lord's injunction that i visit His home and circumambulate the Kaaba built by Abraham and his son Ismail, but I will walk seven times around my heart within and perform my Haj for now. Islam for me is not just a religion, but a way of life and the journey of every devoted Muslim is towards his Lord where he is returned at the end of his days. The journey is not by boat or plane but by the purity of the heart and thus it is called the journey of purification.