Muslims across the world celebrated Eid al-Adha, also known as Eid-ul-Zuha, on Wednesday in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim and his devotion to God.
Muslims celebrate two festivals in a year: Eid-ul-Fitr, which is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month in the lunar Islamic calendar; and Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month.
Eid al-Adha, or the “festival of sacrifice”, is celebrated for two and a half days and commemorates one of the prophets of Islam – Ibrahim’s – willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, as an act of faith before God provided a ram in his place. Eid al-Adha also marks the conclusion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Sacrificing an animal such as a ram, sheep, goat, cow, or even a buffalo is one of the central traditions of this festival, and the meat is distributed equally into three parts: one-third is reserved for the family, one-third for relatives and friends, and the rest for the poor and orphans. This is called Sadaqah, or voluntary charity (not to be confused with Zakat, which is also charity, but is mandatory under Islam and one of the five pillars of the religion).
This is the day when women and men both offer prayers either at their local mosques or the bigger Eidgahs – grounds specially dedicated for Eid prayers. Usually, women in Islam are urged to offer prayers away from the male gaze. On Eid, however, Eidgahs and mosques have special areas for women to offer their prayers.
These Eid prayers are often also dedicated to people suffering around the world.
After the Imam-led Eid prayers, special dishes are prepared at home, and families gather to celebrate the festival. Eid lunches are another special time when families decorate the Eid dastarkhawan (or Eid spread) with several mutton dishes and partake in the festivities. The rest of the first day of this Eid is spent visiting several relatives and friends and distributing the meat from the sacrificial animal.
With social media in the picture now, “Eid selfies” are a trend where you post your selfie in your best attire. In fact, wearing your best attire on Eid is one of the highly recommended Sunnahs. A Sunnah is something that the last Prophet of Islam, Mohammad, encouraged Muslims to do. So, leading up to this Eid, many Muslims buy new clothes, and markets are buzzing with shoppers.
Eid dates usually vary by region as it depends on the sighting of the new moon, and so parts of India, along with Bangladesh, will celebrate Eid al-Adha on 28 May, while many parts of southeast Asia celebrated on 27 May.
This is also the day children receive eidee, a small monetary gift, from parents, uncles and aunts.
According to the Pew Research Centre, Muslims are the world’s second-largest religious group and the “fastest-growing major religion”. Muslims make up the vast majority of the population in the Middle East-North Africa region. In all other regions, Muslims are a religious minority, including in the Asia-Pacific region, which is home to 59 per cent of all Muslims.
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