Conversation between 2 friends on the topic ramzan to Eid
Answers
Peter: How are you? How about your recent business?
Hassan: Fine. It is doing better and better.
Peter: I heard that you are now engaged?
Hassan: Yes, I found a fiancée. We will marry in the next year. My father went back to our hometown to build a new house for me.
Peter: That is wonderful news! I have a question for you. Yesterday, I saw many sheep and goats for sale in the community. Why?
Hassan: Yes, yesterday was the Qurban Festival (Eid al-Adha).
Peter: How do you celebrate during the Qurban Festival?
Hassan: We offer a sheep, cow or camel to Allah that has no defects. It cannot be blind, lame, short-eared or even have a little tail. Yesterday, my mother purchased a sheep from our hometown. It weighed around 40-50 pounds and cost $280. Rich or big families offer a bull that cost almost $2000 dollars and weighs about 400 pounds.
After we bought the sheep, the imam killed it for us. My father also knows how to kill a sheep. The sacrificed animal is then divided into three parts. My family keeps one third, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the remaining third is given to the poor and needy. We have shared our lamb with a few families since yesterday. We have invited many friends, family members, and relatives to join us for a celebration meal.
Peter: What is the meaning of The Festival of the Sacrifice?
Hassan: I don’t exactly know. My father might know it. Or, you can ask the imam at mosque.
Rachel: It is about a saint’s story, but I do not know the story well.
Sarah: Why do you so interested in our Islamic festival? Do you want to be a Muslim?
Mary: Yes, you should follow Islam. It honors a commemoration of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his young firstborn and only son Ishmael in obedience of a command from Allah. After testing Abraham’s loyalty and his son’s obedience, Allah intervened and asked the angel Gabriel to provide Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice instead. Hence in Chinese it is also called the 忠孝节(Loyal Obedience Festival).
Peter: Mary, you are very knowledgeable about the Quran. How did you learn these stories? Have you studied at the mosque?
Mary: No, my uncle taught me. I can read the Quran in Arabic language, even though I am illiterate in Chinese. You must believe in Allah. He is the only god.
Peter: I believe in Jesus. He died for our sins on the cross, was buried, and raised on the third day. By his sacrifice, he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. If we believe in Jesus, our sins have been forgiven.
Mary: Jesus was a saint. He had never died on the cross. We believe in Allah. You should believe in one God. Jesus is not God.
Peter: I also believe in one, creator God. Jesus is both a human being and God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word was God. Jesus is the Almighty God.
Mary: Jesus was just a saint. Jesus is like the prophet Muhammad. He is not God, but he will come back at the end of the age.
Peter: Yes, you are totally right that He will come back to judge the sinners. Jesus is the Lord.
At this point the conversation ended as customers entered the restaurant and Mary and her children had to go back to work.