Happy Eid Al-Adha

We are living blessed days, days filled with goodness, prosperity, and blessings. They remind us of one of the greatest stories known to humankind: the story of faith, patience, certainty, and trust in God's mercy. We are waiting for the Day of Arafah, the day when hearts turn to prayers, and when the human desire to begin anew with a purer, more merciful, and more tranquil heart intensifies. It is a day when many weep in prayer, hearts soften, and people feel their true closeness to God, no matter how much weariness or fear they carry within. On the Day of Arafah, millions of pilgrims stand on Mount Arafat in a majestic scene where faces, hearts, and prayers meet with no distinction between one person and another except in the sincerity of their faith. This scene reminds us that no matter how much power or status a person possesses, they always return to a moment of weakness before God, seeking mercy and forgiveness.

Then comes Eid al-Adha, the blessed festival that is not merely an occasion, but one intrinsically linked to a timeless story that embodies the true meaning of sacrifice. The story of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when he saw the dream, and the story of Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him), who was not merely a son going to be sacrificed, but a model of obedience to God's command with a tranquil heart. And with them is Hagar, the mother who endured the most difficult tests of patience and faith, torn between her fear for her young child in the barren desert and her unwavering trust that God would not abandon her. From her steps between Safa and Marwa, the water of Zamzam flowed, and from her patience began one of the greatest human messages of faith, mercy, and certainty.

The great sacrifice came as a mercy from God, so that Eid al-Adha remains an invitation for humanity to erase from within all fear, despair, cruelty, and selfishness, and to embrace mercy, love, generosity, and solidarity.

During the days of Eid, homes are filled with warmth with the gathering of family, relatives, and neighbors, the sound of laughter, the exchange of gifts and kind words, and people feel that goodness still has the power to unite hearts. We ask God in these blessed days to protect Egypt, its president, and its people, to perpetuate security and peace in our homeland, to grant everyone health, comfort, sustenance, and tranquility, to bless our families and loved ones, and to make the future more beautiful, peaceful, and merciful.

Happy Eid al-Adha!