Eid al Adha is one of the holiest celebrations of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide. The festival is also known as ‘festival of sacrifice”.
The day of Eid al Adha is celebrated on the tenth day of the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhu-ul-Hajj. The day of celebration depends on the legitimate sighting of the moon followed by the completion of Pilgrimage to the Holy Ka’aba (The Hajj). Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every year millions of Muslims gather in Makkah, Saudi Arabia to perform this religious duty.
According to the Holy Quran:
“Those who can make their way, must surely once in their lifetime take the sacred journey to Makkah.”
Although the date of Eid al Adha stays the same according to the Islamic calendar but it varies on the Gregorian calendar. This is because the Islamic calendar is lunar-based (i.e. based on moon) and ten days shorter than the Gregorian calendar which is based on the sun.
History Behind Eid al Adha
The celebration of Eid al Adha is celebrated to pay homage to the Prophet Ibrahim’s (Peace Be Upon Him) devotion to Almighty Allah and his willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail. At the very moment of sacrifice, Allah replaced his son with a lamb from the heavens through the angel Jibraeel (Gabriel). The lamb was slaughtered instead. This command of Allah was a test for the honorable Prophet Ibrahim and his commitment to obey his Lord’s command without any question. This is the reason Eid al Adha is also known as the Eid of sacrifice.
Rituals of the Day
Several traditions are followed by the followers of Islam on this day. Men, women and children dress in neat clothes and gather in mosques earlier in the day to offer the Eid prayers. After the prayer, those who can afford, sacrifice one or more animals. The animal choice can vary from a goat, camel, sheep, cow or buffalo. This sacrifice is a sign of Muslim’s willingness to please and surrender before Allah as Ibrahim did. As the sacrifice is being made, Muslims say a special statement praising the highness of the Almighty. After the sacrifice is made, one-third of the meat is kept by the one and his family who has sacrificed the animal, one third to relatives, friends or neighbors and the last one-third is distributed among the poor.
Eid al Adha 2020 will be celebrated on July 31st in UAE and many other countries of the world.
Make your Eid day productive and fun with our book suggestions. Blossoming Kindness by Yasmine Hammad highlights that you are not alone if you think or speak unkindly about yourself or others. You can change into a better person if you follow some acts of kindness. Learn to counter and avoid problems in your married life with Fifty Tips for a Happy and Balanced Married Life by Dr. Mohammed Allam. Change into a better and happy person and learn the meaning of true happiness with Happiness: Get it, Keep it, Oh…And Enjoy It! by Dr. Louise Lambert. Green Leaves of a Dry Trees by Zakia Hashim Basri will teach you how to overcome your sufferings and turn them into blessings.
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Austin Macauley Publishers wish you and your family a very happy Eid al Adha. May this day be filled with joy and pleasure!
