Eid Al-Adha: Muslim Feast of Sacrifice Explained
It coincides with the completion of Hajj – the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca – in Saudi Arabia, which is an obligation for every able Muslim once in their lifetime.
It falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the last and most sacred month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims often fast on the first nine days of this month to seek God’s mercy and blessings.
This year, most countries will celebrate Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, while some places such as Pakistan and India will observe it on Thursday.
The festival commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, who is revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews as the father of monotheism. God tested his faith by asking him to sacrifice his son Ismail, or Ishmael.
Ibrahim and Ismail willingly submitted to God’s command and prepared for the sacrifice as an act of devotion and obedience. The devil – known as “Iblis” in Islam – tried to tempt them away from God’s will, but they threw stones at him to drive him off.
This act is reenacted by Muslims as a rite of Hajj, where they throw pebbles at three pillars that symbolize the devil in the city of Mina.
As Ibrahim and Ismail were about to perform the sacrifice, God replaced Ismail with a lamb from heaven, according to Islamic tradition. A similar version of the story is also found in Christianity and Judaism.
Sacrifice is a symbol of giving up worldly desires and by doing so, the faithful try to strengthen their piety, repent from their sins, learn to put divine orders first and defeat Satan.
Sacrifice is not a new practice that Islam invented, but it has been done by earlier religions too. However, Islam has some differences in how it does this ritual. The most important difference is that sacrifice is only for God Almighty, not for stars, angels, or people. Islam does not allow sacrificing for anyone or anything else.
“It is not the flesh and blood of your sacrifice that pleases God. What pleases God is your piety.” (Surah Hajj, verse 37)
Some Muslim scholars say what pleases God is not the mere act of killing an animal, but feeding others. God wants individuals to be perfect in their personal and social lives as just shedding blood will not help them achieve that.
Another reason for sacrifice is that it teaches the faithful to give up themselves for God and His way. By performing the act, they learn to be ready to offer their lives or belongings for God Almighty.
Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to honor the devotion and commitment of Ibrahim and Ismail.
One of the main rituals associated with the festival is the symbolic sacrifice of an animal, which is not mandatory but highly recommended in Islam. The animal should be healthy and well-fed, and its slaughter should be done with minimal pain and suffering.
The meat from any sacrificed animal is distributed among the poor, as well as family members and friends. A sheep, goat or lamb can be sacrificed by one person, while a cow or camel can be shared by seven people.
Charity is a core value in Islam, with Zakat, the Muslim practice of almsgiving, being one of the main principles. Eid al-Adha offers Muslims another opportunity to help those in need.
Many Muslims also choose to donate the value of an animal to charities that provide meat to people around the world, especially in areas where hunger and poverty are more prevalent.
What happens following sacrifice in Hajj
The millions of Muslims who perform the pilgrimage sacrifice an animal on the third day of Hajj.
After the sacrifice, they trim their hair or shave their head and change out of their pilgrim’s “ihram,” the white garments worn specifically for Hajj to symbolize a state of purity and detachment from worldly matters, and to erase differences of wealth and status among Muslims.
Over the next few days, they perform the “tawaf,” when pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times counter-clockwise. The Kaaba is a black cube-shaped structure that Muslims consider the house of God built by Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail.
They also repeat the ritual known as “sai,” walking or running seven times between the Safa and Marwa hills, before going back to stone the three pillars that represent the devil.
Finally, they do a farewell tawaf to complete their Hajj before leaving Mecca for their homelands.
