The Real History Behind the Celebration of Eid-ul-Zuha

Eid Mubarak- By AMICI
Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak

Eid-ul-Zuha, Eid-ul-Adha, or Bakrid is the name of one of the most famous and beloved festivals which is much awaited by the Islam community. As we all know, there are two types of Eid that Muslims celebrate, the first is Eid-ul-Fitr and the second is Eid-ul-Zuha/Bakrid/Eid-ul-Adha. Eid-ul-Fitr is however the festival of breaking fast of the holy month of Ramadan whereas, Eid-ul-Adha is the festival of sacrifice to God. The Muslim community, however, celebrates Eid-ul-Zuha on the tenth day of the holy Islamic month of Zul-Hijjah. The first ten days of the holy month of Zul-Hijjah is considered to be very sacred as these ten days are the most appropriate for seeking Allah’s forgiveness and blessings. The dates change every year because Islam follows a lunar calendar according to the Islamic date of eid-ul-Adha.

The story behind Eid-ul-Zuha is very appealing. Let us know more about Eid-ul-Adha through this story. This festival celebrates the test of the obedience of Hazrat Ibrahim towards Allah. Hazrat Ibrahim once dreamt of Allah ordering him to sacrifice his most precious thing. From that night he kept dreaming of the same thing for many days. Then one day he told it to his wife and they decided on sacrificing their son who was the most precious for them. When Ibrahim was about to slash his son’s throat, he suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a sheep. Then Hazrat Ibrahim heard a prophecy that said Allah was testing his obedience and that he need not sacrifice his son and instead could sacrifice a sheep or ram. Since then, the festival of Eid-ul-Adha came into existence and is celebrated every year with much devotion.

The sacrificed meat of Eid-ul-Adha is to be divided abiding some particular guidelines. The large portion of the meat is to be shared with the needy and poor who cannot afford even a day’s meal and the remaining two smaller parts are to be shared with family and friends.

Meat of Eid-ul-Adha- By AMICI
Sacrificed Meat Of Eid-ul-Adha

Celebration of Eid-ul-Zuha

Different people celebrate Eid-ul-Zuha differently but two things that are common are prayers and food. People offer their prayers in their houses as well as mosques. The prayers of Eid-ul-Zuha are offered only after the sun has risen. The main ritual of celebrating Eid-ul-Zuha is the distribution of the meat that was sacrificed among the poor and needy. The Muslims make sure that no poor around them is left unfed on that day. Their hunger and appetite is taken care of for that day. Not only the sacrificed meat, but some people even offer clothes, blankets, and other food items as well to the needy. These are although the traditional way of celebrating Eid-ul-Adha, people today apart from the prayers and food offerings, prefer spending the day with their friends and families by going to a restaurant, parks, or movies. People buy gifts for each other, make various embellishments to their houses and wear new clothes as well. The children of the houses are given Eidi by their elders as a token of love in the form of many gifts which they await all year.

Remembering Spirit Of Devotion- By AMICI
A Way of Remembering The Spirit of Devotion & Spirituality

The festival of Eid-al-Adha is not only a way of remembering the spirit of devotion and spirituality of Prophet Ibrahim but also emoting compassion and concern towards the poor and needy. Children accompanying their parents to bestow their concern in the form of food and clothes to the poor also learn to incorporate it in their own lives. Though the concern and compassion for the underprivileged should not be confined for the day of Eid-ul-Adha but through this day people get the chance to contribute to the betterment of society. Eid-ul-Adha is also a day which plays the role of a bridge which unites people from different religions to Islam as well.