Eid Al Adha/Hajj

The 10th day of the last month in the Islamic Calendar is commemorated by Muslims all over the world as the festival (Eid) of Sacrifice. It marks the end of the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Makka with communal prayers.

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.