Eid Al Adha, which is
also known as the ‘Festival of Sacrifice’, is celebrated by Muslims all over
the world. It is a very special occasion and includes special prayers, sacrificing
an animal like a goat, sheep, camel or cow if one can afford, giving charity and visiting
friends and family. This is the second most important Islamic festival in the Islamic
calendar, the first being Eid Al Fitr (to know more about Eid Al Fitr, click
here) which is celebrated at the end of the month of fasting in Ramadan.
Eid Al Adha is celebrated on 10 Dhul Hijjah (which means the ‘month of the pilgrimage’) every year, based on the lslamic calendar. This coincides with the 3rd day of Hajj (to know more about Hajj, click here) and falls on the day following the gathering of people - performing the annual Islamic pilgrimage - at Arafat in Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar (which came into existence when The Holy Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him - emigrated from Makkah to Madinah) and is based on the sighting of the moon as compared to the Gregorian calendar which is a solar calendar and is not based on the sighting of the moon. A typical Islamic month may be 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the new crescent moon. This means that every year Eid would fall on a different day than the year before and may actually move back about 11 days every year according to the Gregorian calendar. This also means that Eid al-Adha may fall on a different day in different countries around the world depending on when the moon is sighted in each country.
Muslims who can afford to, sacrifice a goat or sheep, or a portion of a camel or cow during Eid a-Adha. They, then, divide the meat into three portions: one portion is for needy and poor people, one is for family and one is for oneself. The idea is to ensure everybody is represented during Eid and enjoys a good meal.
If you're sacrificing an animal here in Qatar, click on the following link for more information: https://www.iloveqatar.net/news/general/eid-al-adha-2020-heres-what-you-need-to-know-for-offering-a-sacrifice-in-qatar
Eid Al Adha is celebrated in remembrance of Abraham’s obedience towards Allah who told him to sacrifice his son Ismail for His sake. When Ibrahim agreed, Shaitaan (the devil/satan) tried to persuade him to disobey Allah’s will and not sacrifice his son. Ibrahim threw stones at Shaitaan to get rid of him and continued to obey Allah and His will. Just as he was about to sacrifice Ismail to prove his obedience to Allah, Allah substituted Ismail for a ram/sheep, and Ismail was saved.
While normal everyday prayers are held in mosques, the Eid prayer is performed in a large and open space or field. It takes place approximately an hour and a half after the dawn prayer (Fajar) when the sun is out.
The Eid prayer is followed by a sermon given by an Islamic cleric (Imam) in which everyone prayers for forgiveness, mercy and also peace for all humanity.
After the Eid prayer,
Muslims usually visit their family and friends, exchange gifts and share a meal
with them, as well as give charity. To celebrate the occasion, people may also go out to participate in
the different Eid-related activities hosted in the various parts of their cities
or towns. Everyone dresses in their finest clothes to mark this special
occasion and there is an air of festivity and happiness in the air. The
celebrations last for three days and the animal sacrifice can be performed on
either of the three days.
To check if a mosque or prayer ground near you will be open for the Eid Al Adha prayers, download the list of mosques and prayer grounds reopening for Eid prayers.
If you’re looking for
some great shopping offers in Qatar during the Eid al-Adha
holidays, click on the following link:
Add joy to your Eid Al Adha celebrations with these offers in Qatar
If you still haven't decided how you're going to spend Eid Al Adha, check out these great hotel and restaurant offers: Celebrate Eid Al Adha 2020 with these hotel offers
How will you be celebrating Eid al-Adha this year? What are your plans? Are you in Qatar or out of the countr? Do let us know in our comments section. Like and share the article – it keeps us going?
Follow us on our social media channels:
@ILQlive
@ILQlive
@ILoveQtr
ILoveQatar
You have successfully registered your account!
Please confirm your e-mail address by clicking on the URL sent to you.The e-mail usually arrives in 5-10 minutes.
How ajeeb was that!? Thanks for contributing to our community! Your post will appear after we take a quick look!
