Kavazović: The quarrelsome tones we hear while fighting for people's lives and health cause unrest

(Patria) - The Reisu-l-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein Kavazović, delivered the Bayram sermon at the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque.

"Praise be to Almighty Allah for all the good we have, for all the sustenance He has bestowed upon us, for the freedom we enjoy, for the health, happiness, and blessings He has showered upon us.

On this beautiful day, we wish for the Prophet's name to be mentioned, for his deeds to be glorified and praised. We send blessings upon him, his noble family, his companions, and all his followers throughout all times. Dear Allah, to the souls of our deceased, especially those who gave their lives in a noble and great struggle for our homeland, freedom, and faith – grant Your mercy and gardens of paradise.

Yesterday was the Day of Arafat, the culmination of the Hajj rituals. Today is the Day of Sacrifice, Kurban Bayram. In our modern history, this Bayram will be remembered for the fact that believers from all parts of the world could not visit the holy sites in Mecca and Medina.

The world is facing a great trial and challenge. The virus has devastated many societies and many families. Many have lost their loved ones. Many are ill. However, we can overcome this trial, as we have overcome those before: with strong trust in God, strong will, discipline, perseverance, and by fighting against it.

On this chosen day, our hearts are with the few Muslims who, with their joyous talbiyah, will repeat, on behalf of all of us, the words that are in the hearts and souls of all Muslim men and women: 'Here I am, O Allah, here I am; here I am, for You have no partner. All praise and all blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty belongs to You. You have no partner.'

Brothers and sisters.

Arafat is the place where Adam and Eve met, a place of rediscovering human nature and new self-awareness. The Day of Arafat is the day of the beginnings of the human community, the day of marital relations, the day of the human race when our first parents realized how important they were to each other and how much they needed each other. Their reunion on Arafat, after their expulsion from paradise and long wandering, is a day of realization and acknowledgment of the mistake they made. Since that day, this acknowledgment of error and repentance for it have been the two most important qualities of our humanity.

The meeting on Arafat has brought new value into our lives, faith, and hope, through which it is possible to overcome mistakes and falls and live a life of repentance.

The Day of Arafat is the very essence of Hajj, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us when he said: 'Hajj is staying on Arafat.' It is a day of remembrance of our ancestors, a day when they, and we through them, realized their human needs, a day when they renewed hope in God's mercy and forgiveness, a day when a new desire for life and fear of its uncertainty was born.

Hajj and sacrifice remind us anew of the foundations of our lives, of what was at the beginning, what is now, and what will happen to us at the end of our human journey. They remind us of human fall and repentance, of hope and rising, of awareness of returning to oneself, of the good and evil that lurks, of what is right among us and what is wrong, of what causes our misfortune and ruin.

Abraham, peace be upon him, through the sacrifice of his son Ishmael, showed us an important spiritual station where each of us, every man and every woman, should pause. We must always re-examine our intention before we decide to act. Nothing affects our lives as much as our intention and the sacrifice we make: our destiny is tied to them. Allah needs neither the meat nor the blood of the sacrifice, as stated in the Quran; He looks at our intention, our piety. Abraham, peace be upon him, taught us that only those who purify their intention can serve God: they are those who are ready to experience faith and live its values. They are those who have decided to fulfill the covenant they have made.

And we today, like Abraham, peace be upon him, in his time, stand before our challenges and trials, worldly desires and covenants, not only religious but also moral and professional. Abraham, peace be upon him, taught us that a person should serve what they have pledged themselves to. Each of us should remain dedicated to what we are: a teacher of faith to faith, a parent to family, a politician to politics, a statesman to the state, a doctor to medicine, a craftsman to their trade, and an artist to art.

I must regretfully state that we have moved away from the imperative to serve according to our covenants, based on the principles of morality, knowledge, and professionalism. People of faith, service, and expertise should not allow themselves to be instruments of manipulation in these difficult times we are experiencing. The quarrelsome tones we hear in the public sphere, while we are fighting for people's lives and health, cause unrest and concern among us. The passion we see in the communication of well-known public figures, educated people, is surprising and worrying.

Bayram is a time when we should approach each other, ask for forgiveness, and offer apologies. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'It is not permissible for any Muslim to sever ties with another Muslim for more than three days. As long as they remain in that state, they have strayed from the truth... and if they die estranged, neither will enter Paradise.' (Ibn Hibban)

'It is enough evil for a Muslim in this world to humiliate his fellow Muslim. For every Muslim, three things must be sacred to his fellow Muslim: his life, his property, and his honor.' (Muslim)

These chosen days are ideal for us to begin the long and difficult struggle against our divisions, quarrels, and public disputes. Let the first step be the Adam-like realization that we are not right, that we often make mistakes and go too far. Let us be brave in the struggle with ourselves. Let us be responsible towards ourselves and not allow ourselves to spoil our own most beautiful form in which Allah created us. Let us not be an example of bad conduct and behavior for the righteous and honest. Let us be role models in our society, examples of honesty, morality, and integrity. Let us spread goodness and strive for it to become dominant among us.

Brothers and sisters.

I ask you to take care of your health and the health of your relatives and friends. We are in circumstances that are unprecedented in recent history. Our friends and acquaintances are dying in terrible agony and going through severe and painful physical and psychological conditions. Doctors are fighting to help and alleviate suffering, aware that there is still no cure for this infectious disease. What we can most easily do for ourselves and for others is to help ourselves through self-protection, by wearing masks, maintaining prescribed distance, and paying attention to hygiene.

Today, our faith is expressed through discipline, with the good intention of preserving life, because 'whoever causes a life to be saved is as if he has saved all of humanity,' as the Almighty warns us. Self-protection is today itself a part of faith, the most valuable form of good deeds and morality. We are not saying this because we fear death, which will come anyway, as we are mortal beings, but out of the deep need of the faith that Allah has revealed to us and our responsibility before Him for the gifts of life and our undertaken obligations to protect them on every occasion and in every place.

Let us not allow differences to distance us from one another. Do not judge people on matters where God is the ultimate judge. Let us do what is required of us, help each other, and compete in good deeds. We all share a common enemy, Iblis, and his army of evil. Oppose the evil temptation of hatred within you, drive it out of your heart as the sun drives away darkness. Let us think of the day when neither wealth, nor power, nor might will be of any help, but only a pure, good heart that will bear witness before God. I advise you: if you have taken someone's right, return it to them; if you have wronged or harmed someone, compensate them; if you have offended someone, ask for forgiveness; and if you have neglected someone, seek them out. Spread peace and goodness among people.

Brothers and sisters.

Let us spend this Bayram without large gatherings. May our sacrifices be accepted by Allah and may they be a substitute for our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Let us ask Allah with that prayer this morning. Let us share them with neighbors and relatives in a safe manner and not put them in danger.

To all of you, I sincerely wish happy Bayram days. May Allah deliver us from this great trial and may He have mercy on the sick among us and grant them recovery. Let us ask Him to give us what is better for us and for our faith.

To everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as Kosovo and North Macedonia, and the Bosniak diaspora, I wish happy Kurban Bayram days. Let us spend them in joy, hope, and sincere trust in Allah.

Bajram šerif mubarek olsun!