Greater Eid marks the end of annual pilgrimage

Eid-ul-Adha “Celebration of Sacrifice,” also known as the Greater Eid, is an important holiday 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, which will fall on Monday this year.

Although only pilgrims to Mecca can celebrate it fully, Muslims elsewhere also celebrate the holiday of Eid-Ul-Adha, which commemorates the trials of Prophet Abraham, his wife, Hagar, and his son Ishmael.

The Hajj is the Fifth Pillar of Islam and therefore is a very important part of the Islamic faith. All physically fit Muslims who can afford it should make the trip to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, at least once in their lifetime.

Every year, more than 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 his son Ishmael at the command of God. Ka’bah is the direction where all Muslims around the world face while performing their prayers. 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.

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 ram 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 Abraham’s obedience to God. Traditionally the meat is divided among family, friends and the needy.

Eid-ul-Adha is a four-day celebration and in Muslim countries is a public holiday. It begins with Muslims going to the mosque for congregational prayers, dressed in their best clothes to thank God for all the blessings they have received and supplicate to him to guide them in their lives. 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 in order to help the poor buy new clothes and food so, they, too, can celebrate.

Muslims in the Valley will observe Eid-Ul-Adha with early-morning prayers at the mosque, Masjid Al-Khair, followed by a community breakfast. They also will celebrate the holiday Dec. 14 at Mahoning Country Club.

XRanda Shabayek is a member of the Masjid Al-Khair mosque in Youngstown.