The spirit of Idul Adha

On Monday, Muslims in Indonesia and all over the world mark Idul Adha by slaughtering cattle, as a symbolic gesture of their readiness to sacrifice their most treasured possession whenever so ordained by their Creator. This willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice -- Islam forbids the act of suicide -- in the name of one's own faith, is also taught in other religions. Christianity, like Islam, for example, takes its cue on the concept of sacrifice from the story of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).

Idul Adha is therefore a good time for everyone in Indonesia of whatever religion to ponder on the moral and spiritual meaning of "sacrifice". Given the sorry state of affairs this country is in at the moment, the occasion hopefully could enlighten our leaders to grasp the real message that this sacred day conveys. Symbols are indeed powerful tools to convey a message to the public, but we are all required to act on that message, and not simply to observe or practice the rituals.

According to the Koran, Prophet Ibrahim was one day ordered by God to slaughter his son Ismail (the Bible version says it was Abraham's other son, Isaac, but the moral message is essentially the same). To slay one's own son was a tall order for any man, even a prophet of God, to comply with. After long and careful consideration, including a talk with his son Ismail, Abraham accepted that he had no choice but to comply with God's order. On the appointed day of the sacrifice Ismail was switched to a sheep. But Abraham had proven his faith to God by his readiness to sacrifice his most treasured possession, his son.

Thus Idul Adha has also come to be known as the Day of Sacrifice.

Some two million Muslims from all around the world will be celebrating the day in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as Idul Adha marks the climax of the haj pilgrimage. They have been going through many rituals to remind them of the hardships and difficulties that Prophet Ibrahim went through. Among the 200,000 or so Indonesians performing the haj this year is none other than President Abdurrahman Wahid. Other Muslims around the world will celebrate in their own neighborhoods, by slaughtering a sheep, goat or cow, after mass prayers on Monday.

As we mark the rituals, we should ask ourselves if we, as a nation, have tried to go beyond the symbols of Idul Adha and make the necessary sacrifices in life when and where called upon. Is it possible that, if we had really absorbed the moral lessons conveyed by Idul Adha, we wouldn't be in such a big mess today?

That Indonesia is in such a state of affairs suggests that many government and nongovernment leaders have not lived up to their responsibilities. Except for the single resignation by a senior official at the Ministry of Communications last year over a train crash, we have not heard of any other officials resigning -- which would be a personal sacrifice -- because of their failures in living up to their task.

In most civilized countries, resigning from one's job is not only a personal sacrifice, but also an honorable gesture whenever one feels that he or she has failed to live up to expectations in their job. This is true particularly for people holding positions in public office, where accountability is of the utmost importance.

If such a practice was widely observed in Indonesia, there would have been mass resignations by people in various positions in public office -- elected or otherwise -- for allowing political conditions in this country to degenerate to the present condition. Instead, these same people have been blaming everyone else but themselves for everything that has gone wrong in this country as they fight to keep their posts. And as national leaders play this endless blaming game, they very often are turning their own people into sacrificial lambs.

This is just one area where personal sacrifices for the greater public good would probably made have this country much more bearable to live in. These officials are not being asked to slaughter their own children, but only their individual or group interests and ambitions. As we watch the cows or goats being slaughtered on Monday, those of us who are in a position of power should ask ourselves: Have we done our part in making the necessary sacrifices for this country?