According to Islamic tradition, approximately four thousand years ago, the valley of Mecca (in present-day Saudi Arabia) was a dry, rocky and uninhabited place. Allah instructed Abraham (ʾIbrāhīm in Arabic) to bring Hājar (Hāǧar), his Egyptian wife, and Ismāīl (Ishmael), his only child at the time, to Arabia from the land of Canaan.[citation needed] As Abraham was preparing for his return journey back to Canaan, Hajar asked him, Did Allah order you to leave us here? Or are you leaving us here to die. Abraham turned around to face his wife. He was so sad that he could not say anything. He pointed to the sky showing that Allah commanded him to do so. Hajar said, Then Allah will not waste us; you can go. Though Abraham had left a large quantity of food and water with Hajar and Ishmael, the supplies quickly ran out, and within a few days the two began to feel the pangs of hunger and dehydration. Hajar ran up and down between two hills called Al-Safa and Al-Marwah seven times, in her desperate quest for water. Exhausted, she finally collapsed beside her baby Ishmael and prayed to Allah for deliverance. Miraculously, a spring of water gushed forth from the earth at the feet of baby Ishmael. Other accounts have the angel Gabriel (Jibrail) striking the earth and causing the spring to flow in abundance. With this secure water supply, known as the Zamzam Well, they were not only able to provide for their own needs, but were also able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies. Years later, Abraham was instructed by Allah to return from Canaan to build a place of worship adjacent to Hagars well (the Zamzam Well). Abraham and Ishmael constructed a stone and mortar structure —known as the Kaaba— which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in Allah. As the years passed, Ishmael was blessed with Prophethood (Nubuwwah) and gave the nomads of the desert his message of submission to Allah. After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving desert city and a major center for trade, thanks to its reliable water source, the well of Zamzam. One of the main trials of Abrahams life was to face the command of Allah to devote his dearest possession, his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allahs will. During this preparation, Satan (Shaitan) tempted Abraham and his family by trying to dissuade them from carrying out Allahs commandment, and Ibrahim drove Satan away by throwing pebbles at him. In commemoration of their rejection of Satan, stones are thrown at symbolic pillars signifying Satan during the Hajj rites. When Ismāīl was about 13 (Abraham being 99), Allah decided to test their faith in public. Abraham had a recurring dream, in which Allah was commanding him to offer up for sacrifice – an unimaginable act – his son, whom Allah had granted him after many years of deep prayer. Abraham knew that the dreams of the prophets were divinely inspired, and one of the ways in which Allah communicated with his prophets. When the intent of the dreams became clear to him, Abraham decided to fulfill Allahs command and offer Ishmael for sacrifice. Although Abraham was ready to sacrifice his dearest for Allahs sake, he could not just bring his son to the place of sacrifice without his consent. Ishmael had to be consulted as to whether he was willing to give up his life in fulfillment of Allahs command. This consultation would be a major test of Ishmaels maturity in faith; love and commitment for Allah; willingness to obey his father; and readiness to sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah. Abraham presented the matter to his son and asked for his opinion about the dreams of slaughtering him. Ishmael did not show any hesitation or reservation even for a moment. He said, Father, do what you have been commanded. You will find me, InshaAllah (Allah willing), to be very patient. His mature response, his deep insight into the nature of his father’s dreams, his commitment to Allah, and ultimately his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah were all unprecedented. When Abraham attempted to cut Ishmaels throat, he was astonished to see that Ishmael was unharmed and instead, he found a dead ram which was slaughtered. Abraham had passed the test by his willingness to carry out Allahs command.[1][14] This is mentioned in the Quran as follows: O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)! So We gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old enough to walk and work with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now see what is your view! (The son) said: O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah wills, you will find me one practising patience and steadfastness! So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, We called out to him saying: O Ibraheem! You have indeed fulfilled the vision; surely thus do We reward those who do good. Most surely this was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations. Peace and salutation to Abraham! Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. Surely he was one of Our believing servants.[15] As a reward for this sacrifice, Allah then granted Abraham the good news of the birth of his second son, Is-haaq (Isaac): And We gave him the good news of Is-haaq, a prophet from among the righteous.[16] Abraham had shown that his love for Allah superseded all others: that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dearest to him in submission to Allahs command. Muslims commemorate this ultimate act of sacrifice every year during Eid al-Adha. Eid prayers Main article: Eid prayers Muslims go to the Masjid to pray the prayer of the Eid. Who must attend According to some fiqh (traditional Islamic law) (although there is some disagreement[17]) Men should go to mosque— or a Eidgah (a field where eid prayer held)—to perform eid prayer; Salat al-Eid is Wajib according to Hanafi and Shia (Jafari)scholars, Sunnah al-Mukkadah according to Maliki and Shafi jurisprudence. Women are also highly encouraged to attend, although it is not compulsory. Menstruating women do not participate in the formal prayer, but should be present to witness the goodness and the gathering of the Muslims.[18] Residents, which excludes travelers. Those in good health. When is it performed The Eid al-Adha prayer is performed anytime after the sun completely rises up to just before the entering of Zuhr time, on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. In the event of a Force majeure (e.g. natural disaster), the prayer may be delayed to the 11th of Dhul Hijjah and then to the 12th of Dhul Hijjah. The Sunnah of preparation In keeping with the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims are encouraged to prepare themselves for the occasion of Eid. Below is a list of things Muslims are recommended to do in preparation for the Eid al-Adha festival: Make wudu (ablution) and offer Salat al-Fajr (the pre-sunrise prayer). Prepare for personal cleanliness – take care of details of clothing, etc. Dress up, putting on new or best clothes available. Rituals of the Eid prayers Muslims from the Ottoman Empire gather after Eid prayers to greet the Imam. The scholars differed concerning the ruling on Eid prayers. There are three scholarly points of view: 1 – That Eid prayer is Sunnah mu’akkadah (recommended). This is the view of Imam Maalik and Imam al-Shaafa’i. 2 – That it is a Fard Kifaya (communal obligation). This is the view of Imam Ahmad. 3 – That it is Wajib on all Muslim men (a duty for each Muslim and is obligatory for men); those who do not do it with no excuse are sinning thereby. This is the view of Imam Abu Haneefah, and was also narrated from Imam Ahmad. Eid prayers must be offered in congregation. It consists of two rakats (units) with seven Takbirs in the first Rakaah and five Takbirs in the second Rakaah. For Sunni Muslims, Salat al-Eid differs from the five daily canonical prayers in that no adhan (Call to Prayer) or iqama (call) is pronounced for the two Eid prayers.[19] حجم الحروف[dead link] The Salaat (prayer) is then followed by the Khutbah, or sermon, by the Imam. At the conclusion of the prayers and sermon, the Muslims embrace and exchange greetings with one other (Eid Mubarak), give gifts (Eidi) to children, and visit one another. Many Muslims also take this opportunity to invite their non-Muslims friends, neighbours, co-workers and classmates to their Eid festivities to better acquaint them about Islam and Muslim culture.[20] The Takbir and other rituals A greeting card with the verses of the Quran calling the Prophet and his followers to offer sacrifice – often equated with Eid al-Adha. The translation is available in English, French and Urdu. Prayers in Comilla, Bangladesh can be seen attending Khutbah as part of the Eid al-Adha prayers on 7 November 2011. The Takbir is recited from the dawn of the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah to the thirteenth, and consists of:[21] Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar الله أكبر الله أكبر lā ilāha illā Allāh لا إله إلا الله Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar الله أكبر الله أكبر wa li-illāhil-hamd ولله الحمد Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, There is no deity but Allah Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and to Allah goes all praise Multiple variations of this recitation exist across the Muslim world Traditions and practices See also: Eid cuisine and Eidi (gift) A panorama in 12 folds showing Muslims returning from their Mosques after Eid prayers in the Mughal Empire. Men, women and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer in a large congregation is an open waqf (stopping) field called Eidgah or mosque. Affluent Muslims who can afford, i.e Malik-e-Nisaab; sacrifice their best halal domestic animals (usually a cow, but can also be a camel, goat, sheep or ram depending on the region) as a symbol of Abrahams willingness to sacrifice his only son. The sacrificed animals, called aḍḥiya (Arabic: أضحية, also known by its Persian term, Qurbāni), have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. This tradition accounts for the slaughter of more than 100 million animals in only two days of Eid. In Pakistan alone nearly 10 million animals are slaughtered on Eid days costing over US$ 3 billion.[22] The meat from the sacrificed animal is divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors; and the other third is given to the poor and needy. The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid al-Adha by concerted efforts to see that no impoverished person is left without an opportunity to partake in the sacrificial meal during these days. During Eid al-Adha, distributing meat amongst the people, chanting the Takbir out loud before the Eid prayers on the first day and after prayers throughout the four days of Eid, are considered essential parts of this important Islamic festival. In some countries, families that do not own livestock can make a contribution to a charity that will provide meat to those who are in need. Eid al-Adha in the Gregorian calendar TajMahalbyAmalMongia.jpg Part of a series on Islamic culture Architecture Arabic · Azerbaijani Indo-Islamic · Moorish · Moroccan · Mughal · Ottoman · Tatar · Persian · Somali · Sudano-Sahelian Art Calligraphy · Miniature · Rugs Dress Abaya · Agal · Boubou Burqa · Chador · Jellabiya Niqāb · Salwar kameez · Songkok/Peci Taqiya · kufiya · Thawb Jilbab · Hijab Holidays Ashura · Arbaeen · al-Ghadeer Chaand Raat · al-Fitr · al-Adha Imamat Day · al-Kadhim New Year · Isra and Miraj al-Qadr · Mawlid · Ramadan Mugam · Mid-Shaban al-Taiyyab Literature Arabic · Azerbaijani · Bengali Indonesian · Javanese · Kashmiri Kurdish · Malay · Persian · Punjabi · Sindhi Somali · South Asian · Turkish · Urdu Music Dastgah · Ghazal · Madih nabawi Maqam · Mugam · Nasheed Qawwali Theatre Bangsawan · Karagöz and Hacivat Tazieh IslamSymbolAllahCompWhite.PNG Islam Portal v t e See also: Islamic calendar While Eid al-Adha is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. The lunar calendar is approximately eleven days shorter than the solar calendar. Each year, Eid al-Adha (like other Islamic holidays) falls on one of about 2-4 different Gregorian dates in different parts of the world, because the boundary of crescent visibility is different from the International Date Line. The following list shows the official dates of Eid al-Adha for Saudi Arabia as announced by the Supreme Judicial Council. Future dates are estimated according to the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia.[23] However, it should be noted that the Umm al-Quraa is just guide for planning purposes and not the absolute determinant or fixer of dates. Confirmations of actual dates by moon sighting are applied to announce the specific dates for both Hajj rituals and the subsequent Eid festival. The three days after the listed date are also part of the festival. The time before the listed date the pilgrims visit the Mount Arafat and descend from it after sunrise of the listed day. Future dates of Eid al-Adha might face correction 10 days before the festivity, in case of deviant lunar sighting in Saudi Arabia for the start of the month Dhul Hijja. In many countries, the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on the observation of new moon by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality. 1418 (Islamic Calendar): 7 April 1998 1419 (Islamic Calendar): 27 March 1999 1420 (Islamic Calendar): 16 March 2000 1421 (Islamic Calendar): 5 March 2001 1422 (Islamic Calendar): 23 February 2002 1423 (Islamic Calendar): 12 February 2003 1424 (Islamic Calendar): 1 February 2004 1425 (Islamic Calendar): 21 January 2005 1426 (Islamic Calendar): 10 January 2006 1427 (Islamic Calendar): 31 December 2006 1428 (Islamic Calendar): 20 December 2007 1429 (Islamic Calendar): 8 December 2008 1430 (Islamic Calendar): 27 November 2009 1431 (Islamic Calendar): 16 November 2010 1432 (Islamic Calendar): 6 November 2011 1433 (Islamic Calendar): 26 October 2012 1434 (Islamic Calendar): 15 October 2013 1435 (Islamic Calendar): 4 October 2014 (calculated) 1436 (Islamic Calendar): 23 September 2015 (calculated) 1437 (Islamic Calendar): 11 September 2016 (calculated) 1438 (Islamic Calendar): 1 September 2017 (calculated) 1439 (Islamic Calendar): 21 August 2018 (calculated) 1440 (Islamic Calendar): 11 August 2019 (calculated) 1441 (Islamic Calendar): 31 July 2020 (calculated) 1442 (Islamic Calendar): 20 July 2021 (calculated)
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 04:21:37 +0000
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