Today we mark the days in which Ibrahim (as), the father of the prophets, completed the rituals of Hajj. Rituals which symbolise what our Ummah are about, what makes us who we are – people who sacrifice for Allah (ﷻ) and fight the Shaytan.

Eid is a happy occasion and a cause for celebration. Let’s take a few moments to remind ourselves of what makes us who we are and what we should be proud of.

It’s not our skin colour or the country we were born in, nor is it our social status or any other superficial characteristic.

Our Islamic identity is defined by our beliefs, convictions and loyalties. In summary these are:

1) Our absolute conviction and belief in Allah (ﷻ)

We aren’t just sure of the existence of Allah(ﷻ). We also hold the conviction that He knows what’s best for us and that if we live our lives correctly according to His guidance, we will enjoy eternal pleasure in the Akhirah.

Anyone who takes some time to think, will realise that the universe we live in is sophisticated and systematic. It’s not down to chance – it’s designed and built, yet not all people are willing to submit to Allah (swt).

We aren’t deluded into thinking this life is all there is. We will definitely die, then rise again and gather the fruits of what we did in this life.

2) Our ultimate goal in life is to please Allah (ﷻ)

If Allah (ﷻ) approves of you and the way you lived your life, then you don’t need to worry about anything else. We don’t make our personal pleasure or happiness the ultimate life goal. That is unachievable – pleasure always finishes, as you can’t always feel like that.

When you’re jumping from one pleasure to another, you’ll eventually get depressed when you don’t feel that buzz anymore. Instead, live for Allah – when it’s easy, like having a nice munch on Eid and when it’s hard, like fasting on a midsummer’s day in Ramadan. When it’s easy, like learning some commonly recited Du’as, or when it’s hard, like standing up for your Ummah and Deen when they’re attacked. If you live for Allah, then both this life and the next will be fulfilling.

3) Our measure for morality: how we decide between what’s right and what’s wrong

Our measure for what’s good and what’s bad is that which Allah (ﷻ) has made Halal and Haram. We’re not animals that do whatever they feel like. We know that we may like some things, but Allah made them Haram so we understand that they’re bad for us and wrong to do.

Likewise, there are things which we don’t like but Allah (ﷻ) has made them obligatory upon us, and so we understand that they’re good for us and right to do. The Halal and Haram give us a path to Jannah unlike the society we live in that is destroying itself by telling people they are free to do what they like – after which they complain about crime, diseases and much more!

4) Our Loyalty is to Allah (ﷻ), His Messenger (ﷺ) and the Ummah of Muhammad (ﷺ)

Our loyalty is not to any land, nation or race. We’re Muslims – the Shahadah is our only flag and soon, we will be united again under one leadership. One Khilafah that protects our Ummah from attack and carries Islam to the rest of the world, countering all the lies about Islam that are spread by governments and the media that we see today.

So, let’s not forget who we are. Living in the west isn’t as comfortable as some may think – it’s very easy to get influenced by the society and become like them.

But together, we can keep reinforcing our unique Islamic identity and carry it to the wider society. Remember – don’t forget our Ummah that’s suffering worldwide and Eid Mubarak.