|
Eid
al-Adha - Celebration of Sacrifice
|
Eid
al-Adha is the Celebration of Sacrifice or Slaughter which is to
celebrate the Sacrifice made by the Prophet Abraham when God asked
him to sacrifice his own son.
 |
| Ka'aba
in the Great Mosque at Mecca |
It
was with a heavy heart that Abraham agreed to do so but was ready
to show his commitment and loyalty to his Lord.
Abraham's
son, Ishmael, also recognised the importance of God's commandment
and was happy to participate. Abraham drew his knife to slaughter
his son but just as the knife drew near, God intervened and Abraham's
child was replaced by a sheep.
Abraham
was happy and relieved when he saw that his son was safe. God had
asked him to sacrifice his son to test his faith and when Abraham
proved that he was willing to do it, God did not need him to commit
the slaughter of his own son, whom Abraham dearly loved.
The
celebration of Eid al-Adha commemorates this event as Muslims all
over the world sacrifice an animal during this Eid. This sacrifice
is known as Qurbani.
A Muslim
who performs or pays for a Qurbani to be performed shares the meat
amongst fellow Muslims in three portions. One third is for the poor,
one third for family and friends and the last third for his own
household.
 |
| Muslim
pilgrims at Mecca |
The
day before Eid al-Adha is the Day of Arafa' or the Day of Hajj when
millions of Muslims make the journey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to
perform a pilgrimage of religious rites known as the Hajj.
Although
the actions of Hajj were re-implemented by the Prophet Muhammad,
nearly all of the rites and rituals of Hajj are based on the actions
of Prophet Abraham.
Even
the Kaa'ba in Mecca was originally built by Abraham and his two
sons. There is a holy plinth next to the Kaa'ba to represent and
remind people of the Prophet Abraham.
In
Birmingham, people visit the mosque on Eid day to attend prayer
services. In Birmingham Central Mosque, there are usually five services
led by different Imams in different languages but with the essential
Qu'ránic Arabic.
During
Eid, Muslims greet each other by saying "Eid Mubarak".
The usual response to that is "Taqabbal Allah minha wa minkum."
|
Transliteration:
Taqabbal Allah minha wa minkum.
Pronunciation:
Taqabbala Llaahu minhaa wa minkum.
Translation:
May Allah accept from us, and from you.
Meaning:
May Allah accept the good deeds from us, and from you.
|
Many
Muslims pray as early as possible on Eid day, they wear their best,
or new clothes and prepare special meals. Dress and food obviously
varies with different cultures.
Islam
welcomes all cultures and traditions as long as they conform to
basic Islamic practice. Eid al-Adha lasts a few days or a week for
some and is a joyous time for all.
Send
your Eid greetings
|
