Eid ul Adha is celebrated with prayers, gifts for children and the distribution of meat to the needy and at social gatherings. Muslims exchange the greetings – Eid Mubarak meaning Blessed Eid.
It is the commemoration of the sacrifice of Prophet Ismaeel by his father Prophet Ibraheem (pbuh). Ismaeel was not only a son for his father but the result of a whole life’s expectations. He was then the only son of a very old father. He was asked to sacrifice his son. Satan tried to create a rift in his conscious by putting his love for his son above his love of Allah. The love of Ismaeel was a test for Ibraheem.
He found his son wanting to be obedient to Allah. Putting all their trust in Allah, Ibraheem puts the knife to Ismaeels’ throat and lo! behold a sheep was placed instead. Allah had accepted his love – his total obedience (submission).
On Eid ul Hajj, therefore when Muslims sacrifice an animal it is a sacrifice instead of one’s Ismaeel, and not a sacrifice for the sake of it.