In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

The Land of Bliss

The pilgrims stride toward the land of Mena from the sunrise on the day of the Qorban fest to participate in the scene of Divine assessment. Mena is a place of sacrifice. There the head of the world should be cut off for the satisfaction of the Lord.

There is where all worldly affairs such as wealth, rank and fame should be sacrificed for the Lord.

There is where the wealth of the world should be turned into small pieces of stones, and for the sake of obedience to God, be thrown at the face of the inward and outward Satan that is standing in the shape of rocks and pillars to hinder the path of faith. 

Then all the lust and obsessed desires which are the formidable inward enemy of man, should be laid on the ground and beheaded in the shape of a sheep.

Afterwards, the vices such as pride, negligence and selfishness that grow like hair out of man’s head and cause him to revolt should be cut and buried into the land of Mena.

The land of Mena with its ceremonies is the scene of God’s assessment in its true sense; An assessment which separates the thoughtful and courageous and free from the negligent, selfish and desire-ridden.

A fair that demonstrates the precious spiritual assets of the elevated humans that represent the outcome of the prophets’ training, inviting the world to regard them. 

Therefore, Imam Ali (PBUH) said: The Prophet of Allah (PBUH&HP) used to lecture for the people and say: “O people, today is the day of Thaj and Aj. It is the day of Thaj because it sheds the blood of the sacrificed. For the one who has a pure and honest intention, the first drop of blood that falls on the ground would be an atonement for his sins. And it is the day of Aj, the day of prayers. So cry toward the court of Allah and repent. For, to the God that holds the life of Mohammad, no one exits this land deprived and unblessed, unless he has committed a great sin that he keeps repeating, not willing to give it up.” ⁽¹⁾

Selection taken from the book Haj The program for progress by Ayatullah Ziabadi (with minor changes)

Congratulations to all Muslims and especially you dear friend

on the auspicious occasion of the Eid al-Adha

A time of freeing oneself from all chains, and attaching oneself to the Giver of Life

Roshd Islamic Shia Website

Footnotes:

1- Nawader Rawandi, P. 42