Eid-ul-Adha is the Muslim festival that marks the end of the pilgrimage to Makkah known as Hajj. Eid-ul-Adha is also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” and it commemorates Abraham’s faith and devotion to God.
According to Muslim belief God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, and although he was a good man and loved his son; his faith and devotion to God was strong enough that he would accommodate God’s request. Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son for God caused God to spare his son’s life, and a lamb was sacrificed in his place.
Eid-ul-Adha is a sacred Muslim holiday that is celebrated around the world with prayer, sacrifice, and food.
In the United States many Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha by going to morning prayers at a mosque instead of eating breakfast. After the morning prayers they have a feast with their family and friends, and they enjoy being together and sharing.
In Egypt Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated by morning prayers and feasting, but it is referred to as “Eid el-Kibr.” Morning prayers at a mosque and a sermon are the tradition of Muslims during this holiday, and after their prayers they meet with their friends and family for a celebratory feast. During this Muslim holiday the wealthy and charity organizations give beef and other foods to the poor in honor of the sacrifice associated with this holiday.
Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated as a 4 day event in Pakistan; During this holiday stores are closed, and Muslims attend morning prayers and a sermon. After this Muslims will attend a great feast, and those who can afford it will sacrifice an animal to honor god, and they will share the meat with their friends, family, and the poor.
In Morocco Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated as a 3 day festival, and it is celebrated similarly to other locations. The morning starts with prayers and a sermon at the local mosque, and a sacrifice of a cow, ram, or lamb is made after the sermon and prayers. The meat from the sacrifice is distributed among the poor people of the area, and a feast is has among friends and family.
During Eid-ul-Adha in Bangladesh it is mandatory that an animal is sacrificed, and the animal’s age and health is important. An unhealthy animal is considered an imperfect sacrifice. The sacrifices start during morning prayers, and they continue for three days during Eid-ul-Adha in Bangladesh. Feasts and prayers are similar in Bangladesh as they are in many other countries, except the sacrifice is extremely important.
Eid-ul-Adha is a special time for Muslims around the world; it is a time where they honor God by showing their faith and devotion through sacrifice, feast, and prayer. This Muslim holiday is celebrated around the world, and some traditions are slightly different, but the devotion and honor of God remains the same during Eid-ul-Adha around the world.
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- Worshippers offering prayers at a grand mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. (Image: AP)
Palestinian girl playing with bubbles during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in the West Bank city of Nablus. (Image: AP)
- Muslims greeting each other during Eid al-Adha in Gauhati, India. (Image: AP)
- boy sleeps as Kenyan Muslims pray during Eid al-Adha in the coastal city of Mombasa. (Image: Reuters)
Sheep in the trunk of a car before they are sacrificed on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in Ankara, Turkey. (Image: Reuters)
playing with balloons after Eid al-Adha prayers outside a mosque in Cairo, Egypt. (Image: Reuters)
