Eid al-Adha and Manifestation of Hearty Sacrifice

Zahra Motaqi

Muslims celebrate every year Eid al-Adha on the tenth day of Dhu al-HIjjah. The Eid has been originated from the holy Qur'an, (Sura al-Baqara, verse 196). It is one of the festivals that Muslims celebrate worldwide to commemorate God’s forgiveness of Ibrahim when he promised to sacrifice his own son Ishmael as commanded by Allah. Although Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his dearest for Allah's sake; he could not just go and drag his son to the place of sacrifice without his consent. Ishmael had to be consulted as to whether he was willing to give up his life as fulfillment to God's command. However Ishmael showed no objection to the will of Allah. Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha as it marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj period; annually millions of Muslims make a trip to Mecca. Every year, Muslims trace their journey to the Holy Land of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj Rituals. Muslims must perform the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. After the Hajj is performed, the men are given the title “hajji” and the women “hajjah”. Eid al-Adha is celebrated with big fervor in the Muslim-dominated Middle East countries. This festival of sacrifice is major public holidays in the Islamic countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other Arab countries. Like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha also begins with a short prayer followed by a speech [khutba]. In Mecca, the Khutba is delivered from Mount Arafat.

Customs of Eid al-Adha

Everyone in the Muslim community is expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform the Eid prayer. Well-off Muslim devotees sacrifice their best domestic animals, usually sheep, cows, goats and even camels, as a reenactment of Ibrahim’s sacrifice.

According to the holy Qur'an, ample portions of the sacrificed animal meat should be given to the poor and hungry, so that they too can join the festivities. The remainder of the meat is cooked for the family celebration meal, wherein it is shared among friends and families. During the celebration, Muslims are also expected to visit their kin, from their parents down to their friends.

The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid al-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food during this day. Coming immediately after the Day of Mount Arafat when Mohammad (P.B.U.H) pronounced the final seal on the religion of Islam, Eid al-Adha gives concrete realization to what the Muslim community ethic means in practice. Eating and sharing the meat is considered an element of worship during this period, as well as saying Takbir [Allah is Almighty and Great] out loud in public.