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Good morning. Eid Mubarak or Happy Eid.Ìý

Today is Eid al-Adha, it is a major Islamic festival and the culmination of the hajj pilgrimage.Ìý Over two million Muslims have traveled from across the Islamic world to perform this once in a lifetime pilgrimage to the Ka’ba, the house of God, located in the holy city of Mecca.Ìý These pilgrims represent the richness and diversity of Islam.Ìý They are drawn from diverse nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures; they speak different languages, have different customs, come from different denominations from within Islam, yet they have been drawn into an ocean of unity with their complete and utter focus on their Creator.

What is it about the hajj that inspires people to travel thousands of miles on such an arduous journey?Ìý Well the obvious reason is that it’s a religious obligation and one of the pillars of the religion, so Muslims therefore must perform it.Ìý However, I believe there is something deeper at work here.Ìý A holy tradition in which God speaks in the first person states:Ìý ‘I was a Hidden treasure, I loved to be known and I therefore created creation.’Ìý Every atom is buzzing with His love, had that not been the case there would be no creation.Ìý One of the names of God is al-Wadud, the Most Loving. Love is the generating force of existence.Ìý This love is imprinted upon the very substance of the human being and it is this love, whether we recognize it or not, that pulls the pilgrim to God’s House, which is the metaphor, for the human heart, deep within which lies the secret of creation – love.

May God grant us love, inspire us with love, motivate our actions with love. Amin.