Eid al-Adha.. Islamic festival

Eid ul-Adha ('Festival of Sacrifice') is one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar.

The festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.

When is Eid ul-Adha celebrated?

Eid ul-Adha is a public holiday in Muslim countries. In 2023, Eid ul-Adha will begin on the evening of Wednesday 28 June and end on the evening of Sunday 2 July.

What is the story of Eid ul-Adha?

Eid ul-Adha celebrates the time when Ibrahim had a dream which he believed was a message from Allah asking him to sacrifice his son Isma'il as an act of obedience to God.

The devil tempted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son. As Ibrahim was about to kill his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead.

This festival commemorates the ransom with a ram of the biblical patriarch Ibrāhīm’s (Abraham’s) son Ismāʿīl (Ishmael)—rather than Isaac, as in Judeo-Christian tradition.

How is Eid celebrated?

In some countries, Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat (in Britain the animal is killed at a slaughter house). The meat is shared equally between family, friends and the poor.

Eid usually starts with Muslims going to the Mosque for prayers. They dress in their best clothes and thank Allah for all the blessings they have received. It is a time when they visit family and friends. Muslims will also give money to charity so that poor people can celebrate too.

Hajj

Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Adha on the last day of the Hajj. The Hajj is pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. It occurs every year and is the Fifth Pillar of Islam (and therefore very important).

All Muslims who are fit and able to travel should make the visit to Makkah at least once in their lives.

During the Hajj the pilgrims perform acts of worship and renew their faith and sense of purpose in the world. They stand before the Ka'bah, a shrine built by Ibrahim, and praise Allah together.

The Ka'bah

The Ka'bah is the most important monument in Islam. Pilgrims walk around the Ka'bah seven times and many of them try to touch the Black Stone located at the corner.

Kiswah

The Kiswah is the black cloth that covers the The Ka'bah. It is made from black silk and gold thread. Verses from the Qur'an are hand sewn with the gold.

Every year a new Kiswah is made and draped over the Ka'bah.

Door

door is over two metres above ground level. Originally the door was at ground level but was raised when the Ka'bah was rebuilt.

The Black Stone

The Black Stone is set in the eastern corner of the Ka'bah. It is believed that the stone fell from Jannah (the heavenly garden) to reveal to Adam and Eve where to build an altar.

This altar became the first temple on Earth. Muslims believed Muhammed set the Black Stone in its current place.

Some believe the stone was originally white but has turned black due to the sins of the many people that have touched it. During Hajj many pilgrims try to kiss the Black Stone.

Hajr-Ismail

The Hajr-Ismail (translates to 'Stone of Ismail') is sometimes called the Hateem. It is believed to be the place that Ibrahim constructed a shelter for Ismail and his mother Harjah. Pilgrims do not walk in the space between the Hajr-Ismail because Ismail and his mother are buried there.



One traditional greeting for Eid al-Adha is Eid Mubarak, roughly meaning “Happy Eid” or “Blessed Eid.”

This is the Arabic greeting observers use to wish each other well during both the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha celebrations.

The Arabic word ‘mubarak’ means ‘blessed,’ while ‘Eid’ translates as festival or feast, so the literal translation of ‘Eid Mubarak’ is ‘blessed celebration’ or ‘blessed feast’.
Despite its official meaning, the phrase is also widely accepted and interpreted as ‘happy Eid’.