leo: October 2012

EID-AL-ADHA

EID-AL-ADHA is an Islamic Festival to commemorate the willingness

of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah’s

command to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail(A.S.). Muslims around

the world observed this Event.

At Eid-al-Adha, the day begins with a special Eid prayer. Muslims
make a special effort to pray and listen to a sermon at a Mosque.
They wear new clothes.

Muslims symbolically sacrifice animals in an act known as “Qurbani” in
memory of Hazrat Ibrahim’s act of sacrifice. This represents the animal that
Hazrat Ibrahim sacrificed in the place of his son.

The background is that, that Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) was commanded by
Allah to sacrifice his adult son. He obeyed and took his son
Hazrat Ismail (A.S.) to Mount Moriah. Just as he was to sacrifice his son,
an angel Hazrat Jibrail A.S. came and put a ram to sacrifice in place of his son.

In some traditional Muslims countries, families may purchase an animal, usually a goat or sheep, to sacrifice, but this is not common or legal in many parts of Australia, Canada,

New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and many other countries. In these countries groups of people may purchase a whole carcass from a butcher or slaughter house and divide it amongst themselves or just buy generous portions of meat for a communal meal on Eid-al-Adha.

HOW MUSLIMS CELEBRATE EID-AL-ADHA.

Eid-al-Adha are public holidays in places such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan and other many Muslims countries. It is not a nationwide holiday in other non-Muslims countries. However, some Islamic organizations may be closed or offer a reduced level services and there may be some local congestion around mosques in countries where Eid-al-Adha in not a public holiday. They visit their families and friends and serve them with meat dishes.

MEAT DISHED ON EID-AL-ADHA.