By Elliott West
“Oh son, I keep dreaming that I am slaughtering you”. he replied, “Father, do what you are ordered to do.”
Surah As- Saaffat 37:102
Introduction
Eid ul-Adha is one of the most important times in the Islamic calendar and falls on the third day of Hajj. A celebration that scholars agree that the prophet Muhammad introduced. The literal meaning of Eid means festival or feast. This celebration lasts for three days and this year ends on July 2nd. It is considered to be one of the holiest of the Islamic festivals. Eid ul-Adha translates as ‘Feast of the Sacrifice’ and is the second of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam. The first is Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of a month of fasting after Ramadan, this year that was celebrated in April. Eid ul-Adha honours the willingness of Abraham or Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Issac and because of this willingness, God provided him with a lamb to sacrifice in his son’s place.
The Ritual and Celebration
Although Eid is not mentioned in the Qur’an, Muslims ritually sacrifice a lamb, sheep, goat, cow, bull or camel to celebrate this occasion (Qurbani) with one-third of the meat given to the family, one-third to friends and one-third to the poor. This animal must be in good health and of a certain age and must be slaughtered according to Islamic law (halal). Sweets are also given out and the extended family is invited to the house. This ‘greater Eid’ is dependent on a legitimate sighting of the moon and follows the annual pilgrimage of Hajj, one of the criteria of the Five Pillars of Islam.
The day itself is spent celebrating with family, friends and loved ones where new or best outfits are worn and gifts are given out. The day of Eid ul-Adha falls on the tenth day in the final (twelfth) month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar Dhu-al-Hijjah. The day starts with communal prayer (Eid Salah) at the local mosque where special Eid prayers are said and a sermon is heard.
Significance and Food
Eid ul-Adha is not only about the sacrifice of an animal but personal sacrifice too. This celebration is all about sharing and charity with many Muslims giving to charities and sacrificing their personal desires and sharing their wealth with the less fortunate. This means giving up something dear to you just as Abraham or Ibrahim demonstrated. The meal itself differs from country to country. Referred to as the ‘salty Eid’, in India Muslims have biryani, in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries Maqluba, consisting of rice, meat and fried vegetables and in Morocco Couscous bidaoui belghanmi, lamb and vegetables on a bed of couscous, cooked in a two-level pot called a couscoussier.
