Saturday, December 30, 2006
Eid-ul-Adha "Celebration of Sacrifice," also known as the Greater Eid, is the second most important festival in the Muslim calendar. It marks the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. It takes place on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
Although only pilgrims to Mecca can celebrate it fully, Muslims elsewhere also mark the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
Pillars of Islam
The Hajj is the Fifth Pillar of Islam and therefore a very important part of the Islamic faith. All physically fit Muslims who can afford it should make the visit to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, at least once in their lives. Every year around 2 million Muslims from more than 70 countries journey to the holy city of Mecca. They visit a shrine in the city known as the Ka'bah, built by Abraham and Ishmael at the command of God. It is a place for Muslims to reaffirm their faith.
The other four Pillars of Islam are: the testimony of faith, offering the five daily prayers, paying a certain share as charity and fasting the month of Ramadan.
A celebration
Eid-ul-Adha celebrates the occasion when Abraham saw in his dream that he sacrifices his son, Ishmael, as an act of obedience to God. The devil tempted Abraham by saying he should disobey God and spare his son. However, both Abraham and his son were true to their beliefs and were willing to obey God. As Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God intervened and provided a lamb for him to sacrifice instead. It is in commemoration of this event that financially able Muslims all over the world today sacrifice a sheep (alternatively a goat or cow can be used) as a reminder of Ibrahim's obedience to God. Traditionally the meat is divided among family, friends and the needy.
Eid-ul-Adha is a three-day celebration and in Muslim countries is a public holiday. It begins with Muslims going to the mosque for prayers, dressed in their best clothes to thank Allah for all the blessings they have received. It is also a time when they visit family and friends and exchange gifts.
During Eid, it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.
Local event
Muslims in the Mahoning Valley will observe Eid-Ul-Adha with early morning prayer at Masjid Al-Khair mosque in Youngstown followed by a community breakfast. Celebration of the Eid and the honoring of the Hajjis, or pilgrims, will take place Jan. 20 at the Holiday Inn MetroPlex on Belmont Avenue in Liberty.
Randa Shabayek is a member of the Masjid Al-Khair mosque in Youngstown.