We are told, Muslims in the middle east, Egypt and Arab countries celebrate their religious festivals for days together with pomp and pageantry in rejoicings, mirth, merry-making, pastimes, recreations and by paying courtesy visits to relatives -- to dear and near ones.

The people of Bangladesh are lagging behind other opulent Muslims states of the world. It is through gifts and endowments from richer Muslim countries that many of our mosques and religious institutions have been given a fresh lease of life.

There is no denying the fact that true piety and devotion of a Muslim does not consist in outward celebration of any festival. First and foremost, one must repose one's trust in Al-Mighty Allah. As Allma Iqbal once wrote -- "Complete trust in Al-Mighty Allah and the defiance of death, that is Islam."

Let us have a cursory glance at the sorry state of affairs and the prevalent condition of our society.

Most of us lay claim to being a Muslim. But who is a Muslim? Our Holy Prophet of Islam said that two Muslims are like two hands of a man helping each other in their trials and tribulations, sorrows and sufferings. A muslim must be at the beck and call of his fellow-men. A Muslim does not choose anything which he does not choose for his brother-in faith. Thus, we see that Muslims in the early days of Islam were better Muslim than we are today. Thus, we observe in the history of Islam that in the battlefield thirteen Muslim sacrificed their lives one by one at the instance of quenching thirst of nearest brother saying at the time of death just like Philip Sidney -- "Thy necessity is greater than mine." "A Muslim who eats to his heart's content but his neighbour, passes his days in starvation is not a true Muslim." -- Hadith. What is happening today in our present day society?

Most of us are sadly lacking in Iman which is the bed-rock and foundation of the religion. Great men and philosophers are of the opinion that "Religion is morality and morality is religion." There are innumerable references in the Holy Quran about "Amrobil Maruf O Nihi Anil Monkar-implying "enjoining good deeds and resisting the Evil-ones?" There is a saying of the prophet that 'Khairunnasa Ma Yanfaun Nase' meaning that he is a good man who does good to others. Thus, to do good to others is Islam. A Muslim cannot, under any circumstances, do harm to others.

What are the signs of a Monafeq or disbeliever? According to Hadith, a man who, whatever he tells, tells lies, when he makes promise, breaks it and breaches the trust reposed upon him. They say lying tantamounts to stealth. It is said that lying is the mother of all sins. But what do we see today in our society around us? Truth has concealed itself behind the iron curtain. Our leaders and bureaucrats take recourse to bundle of lies for the realisation of selfish ends and for self-aggrandisement. Corruption of every description is prevailing supreme in our society. Most of our people live below absolute poverty line. Who will lift the burden of illiteracy and poverty? Our so called leaders render only lip-service to the society by holding out alluring promises for poverty alleviation. Their utterances of mountain produce only mouse. Their tall-talk and high sounding words end in smoke. Their words are not in conformity with their deeds.

The rich is becoming richer and the poor poorer. We are told some of our opulent and well-to-do men have flourished at the expenses of have-nots, slumdwellers, pavementdwellers and left-over eaters. They are the blackship of the race, to all intents and purposes. They are lacking in patriotism. They are, as a matter of fact, traitors to the country and hence should be brought to task by the rule of law of the country. All are equal before the eye of law.

Dr Shihiddullah once said-"Democracy without literacy is nothing but hypocrisy."

Eradication of illiteracy, introduction of proper education and ensuring sense of security in the society can kindle sparks of hope in the hearts of teeming millions who are groaning today under the burden of soaring prices of essential commodities, unemployment, corruption, bribery and evil customs of society.

"Chill penury (extreme poverty) represses the genial current of the soul." Poverty is crime. It is malnutrition that is solely responsible for the sickly society. Broken families consequent on poverty and misuse of wealth pave the way for future offenders, criminals, musclemen, thugs and terrorists.

In our country and society Qurbani is meant for the rich and well to-do who can afford to buy eye-catching cattle to make a parade of their piety and fame and to winover the hearts of the people whose cooperation and help can enable them to come out with flying colours in any probable election of the countryside.

I have seen how the poorer section of our society look forward to the day of Qurbani with eagerness and expectancy -- the scene of gathering gift-meats by dancing attendance from door to door and carrying the loads of meat in the earthen pots to their beloved abode in the country side so as to enable their dear and near ones to be co-sharer with them who can illafford to partake of any good food throughout the year.

Thus Qurbani brings a flash of light to the otherwise dull, dreary and desert-like life of the crippled, handicaps and have-nots just like the oasis in the desert.

Who does not know how science got out of Muslim hands. We the Muslims have forgotten the teachings of Islam. We stand on ceremonies. Most of the Muslim today have flourished outwardly, but they have inwardly been degraded and degenerated. What is the panacea for all evils and malady? According to Allma Iqbal if we desire to regain our lost glory and glorious past, it is incumbent on us to go back to the Quran and Mohammed (SM).

Nothing can be done without sacrifice. Selfishness is next to meanness in social sense. In our society today, those who indulge in the pleasure of slaughtering cattle in the name of religion, hardly pause and think over the lot of underprivileged, undernourished and less fortunate brethren. Most of them do not even pay Zakat to the poor. We are told some of the opulent dwellers of the metropolis do not hesitate to deprive the distressed of their due share of charity and gift meat only to pander to the greed of eating meat for many days at a stretch.

It is said that those who were true Muslims are in the grave and Islam is in the scripture.

Muslims today have become selfish to the last degree. Though many of us perform prayers, keep fast, go to the pilgrimage and attend Eid congregations and sacrifice animals on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, only to display their outward rituals or customs to keep up appearance like playing to the gallery, the revolutionary, spirit of Islam is conspicuous by its absence among us.

Those who are regular newspaper readers, are well-acquainted with the fact how the rural folks are turned into street beggars as disastrous consequences of litigation against their neighbours and brothers over the possession of a mango tree or interactions over a very trifling matter, or over the quarrel of their children with nextdoor neighbours. Making a gift of their new crops or fruits to the mosques or the poor and beggars or the festival of eating new rice after distributing it among the needy have become scarce this days.

Most of the Muslims have become narrowminded, closefisted and out and out parsimonious and miserly. This is against the tenets of Islam. What is the use of slaughtering the beast of the wood land by a Muslim who can not slaughter the beast in his mind?

"The blood of the beast dust not reach God Al-Mighty, What is sought after is Taqwa or God fearingness of the devotees." Hadith.

We may not understand what Islam truly is. Islam is the touchstone of life that wrought miracle in the history of Muslims. It is a pity that the nation rarely recalls the sacrifices of Hasan and Hossain who laid down their life at the altar of truth.

There is no royal road to the destined goal. On this day of Eid-ul-Azha, we must realise the real invocation of this festival -- the sacrifice of life to Allah's sacred cause. This day is the day of sacrifice.

Even to this day devoted pious Muslims prick up there ears to the voice from heaven like poet Kazi Nuzrul Islam:

"Listen then, O bereft of Strength,
O Abraham! Do sacrifice this day
Your Son, your best of possessions!
This blood is the blood of sacrifice
Of a Soul possessed of truth and strength!

"Islam Zinda Hota Hai Har Karbala Ke Bad" implying Islam is rejuvenated and regenerated after every Karbala" wrote an Urdu Poet:

Abul Kalam Elias is a former College Principal and Research Fellow, Bangla Academy