So, it is Eid al-Adha today..
I went to the local mosque with my son this morning.. it is a small terraced house converted to a mosque.. a far cry from the grandeur and the splendor of the Great Ommayyad Mosque in Damascus..
I listened to the Khutba, half in Arabic, and half in Urdu (which I do not understand at all).. I remembered with affection listening to the beautiful Khutba's at Salat el Eid in Damascus, and so wished my son could experience those serene feelings.. As a child, I could hear the chants of 'Allah u-akbar, Allah u-kbar, Allah u-akbar.. Walillahil hamd..' streaming out of the Rawdah mosque near our house, as I make my way hurriedly to the mosque.. I must get there early to find a place indoors.. otherwise I might get my new Eid outfit soaked through if it rains while I am standing in the outer court.. Happy days, eh..
Over here, Eid is reduced to a quick exchange of good wishes outside the make-shift (and make-believe) mosque, before rushing off back to work.. The lucky ones (and the more organized ones) would have remembered to book a day of Annual Leave for today... Never mind.. We are meeting up with some friends tonight for some scrumptious Middle Eastern feast prepared lovingly by my wife and her friends.. It will go some way to make up for having to celebrate Eid away from home..
Happy Eid to all of you and your Families, wherever you are..
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