Eidul Azha celebrated across the globe
Islamabad: Muslims across the globe celebrated Eidul Azha this week observing Covid SOPS as the pandemic continued to haunt.
There are two key Eid’s (Celebration Festivals) in Islam: Eidul Fitr, which signifies the completion of the Holy Month of Ramadan; and Eidul Azha, which follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, at the time of Qurbani (sacrifice).
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 that celebrations fall on is dependent on a legitimate sighting of the moon, following the completion of the annual Holy Pilgrimage of Hajj – which is an obligation for all Muslim’s who fit specific criteria, one of the important Five Pillars of Islam.
The celebration of Eidul Azha is to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s (PBUH) devotion to Allah SWT and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail (PBUH). At the very point of sacrifice, Allah SWT replaced Prophet Ismail (PBUH) with a ram, which was to be slaughtered in place of his son. This command from Allah SWT was a test of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)’s willingness and commitment to obey his Lord’s command, without question. Therefore, Eid-ul-Adha means the festival of sacrifice.
Depending on the country, the celebrations of Eidul Azha can last anywhere between two and four days. The act of Qurbani (sacrifice) is carried out following the Eid Salaah (Eid Prayers), which are performed in congregation at the nearest Mosque on the morning of Eid.
The act of Qurbani consists of slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice to mark this occasion in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)’s sacrifice for Allah SWT. The days of animal sacrifice total three days, from the 10th to the 12th of Zhu-al-Hijjah.
The sacrificial animal must be a sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull or a camel; the sheep, lamb or goat consist of one Qurbani share, whereas a bull, cow or camel consist of seven shares per animal. The animal must be in good health and over a certain age in order to be slaughtered, in a “halal” friendly, Islamic way.
The Qurbani meat can then be divided into three equal portions per share; one-third is for you and your family, one-third is for friends, and the final third is to be donated to those in need.
Traditionally, the day is spent celebrating with family, friends and loved ones, often wearing new or best attire and the giving of gifts.