Eid Al-Adha is second in the series of Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate across the world. It is also referred to as the “Big Bayram” (from Turkish) or “Big Feast.” Eid Al-Adha is known as Hari Raya Haji in Singapore and Malaysia, and Tabaski in West Africa. In India, the animal used most often for sacrifice is the goat – which is why the occasion is spoken of in Urdu language as Bakrid or Eid-e-Qurban.

On this day, Muslims sacrifice animals which have been deemed Halal, or fit for sacrifice. They not only eat the meat themselves but distribute it amongst their neighbors, relatives, and the poor and hungry.

It is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (the twelfth month) of the lunar Islamic calendar, after Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The underlying flavor is the spirit of sacrifice or Qurbani, commemorating Prophet Abraham’s great act of faith many centuries ago. Almighty God put Abraham to a most difficult trial, the details of which are described in the Qur’an. During this day, men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing. For the millions at Hajj, it is a big day. On this day, the pilgrims reach the grounds of Mina where they sacrifice an animal. It was here that Abraham is believed to have sacrificed his son Ishmael. The pilgrims then shave their heads.

The charitable instincts of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid Al-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food during this day. Coming immediately after the Day of Arafat (when Prophet Muhammad pronounced the final seal on the religion of Islam), Eid Al-Adha gives concrete realization to what the Muslim community ethic means in practice.

Source: Shafaqna