MrokTv wishing all of your Selamat Hari Raya Haji Do you know about Hari Raya Haji? Hari Raya Haji (which means “great day of the haj” in Malay), also known as Aidiladha (alternatively spelt as Eid al-Adha or Eid Adha) or the Great Day of Sacrifice, is a Muslim festival that falls on the 10th day of Zulhijjah (the 12th month in the Islamic calendar). The festival marks the end of the haj, which is the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It also commemorates the willingness of the Islamic prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act of obedience to Allah (God). One of the main rituals of the festival is the korban, which involves the sacrificial slaughtering of livestock. It is one of two major Muslim festivals in Singapore that are celebrated as public holidays (the other being Hari Raya Puasa). Background Hari Raya Haji is celebrated to mark the end of the Muslim pilgrimage known as the haj. According to the fifth pillar of Islam, all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to do so are obliged to undertake this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. The haj retraces the journey of Prophet Muhammad’s pilgrimage to Mecca and must be undertaken during Zulhijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. The festival also commemorates the story of Ibrahim and his son Ismail, both of whom were said to have been guided by Allah to build the Kaaba: a square stone building in the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca that is considered by Muslims to be their most holy site. It is in the direction of the Kabaa that all Muslims face during prayers. According to the story found in the Quran, Allah one day commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of his obedience. Just as Ibrahim was about to carry out this command, Allah intervened to stop him and allowed for the sacrifice of a sheep in place of his son. Ibrahim’s exemplary act of sacrifice and obedience to Allah is commemorated during Hari Raya Haji through the ritual of korban, which involves the sacrificial offering of livestock. Rituals and practices Fasting and prayers Unlike during Ramadan when all Muslims are required to fast daily from sunrise to sunset for an entire month, fasting for Hari Raya Haji is usually done on the eve of the festival (known as Wukuf) and is not compulsory. On the day of the festival, Muslims first gather in mosques for congregational prayers before carrying out the korban ritual. Korban ritual The korban is one of the most significant rituals of Hari Raya Haji. The ritual is considered a sunnah maukad (non-compulsory but strongly recommended obligation) and can be done individually or as a group. Muslims who can afford it are encouraged to perform the korban. The sacrifice ritual begins by facing the animal to be sacrificed in the direction of the Kabaa and uttering a prayer.[9] The jugular vein at the animal’s throat is then slit quickly to ensure a quick death, usually within a minute. The animal is then cleaned and its meat carved up for distribution. As the korban signifies a sacrifice of anything valuable, livestock such as sheep, goats or cows are usually chosen as the offering. The person who sacrifices the animal keeps one third of the meat, while the remaining two thirds are shared with friends, neighbours and the poor and needy. In Singapore, the ritual takes place at mosques and religious schools. The korban may be performed by the donor or by appointed butchers at the respective slaughter sites. Besides its religious significance, another objective of the korban is to raise funds for the various Muslim organisations and mosques offering korban services. The funds are to help with their upkeep and educational programmes. Calculation of the date There is no fixed date on the Gregorian calendar for Hari Raya Haji. Like all Islamic festivals, the date for Hari Raya Haji is based on astronomical calculations that rely on the sighting of the new moon and thus differs from year to year. In Singapore, the Islamic Religious Council (known in Malay as Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, or MUIS) is responsible for determining the date of the festival each year. Hari Raya Haji is designated as a public holiday in Singapore. Recent developments Sourcing for korban livestock One of the major issues that has plagued Hari Raya Haji celebrations in recent years is the shipment of the livestock needed for the korban. On several occasions, the shipments were delayed, forcing the cancellation or the postponement of korban. MUIS took over the importing of animals for korban in 1992. However, the organisation announced in June 1997 that it would no longer source for the animals needed for korban and would hand over the responsibility to the mosques. On its part, MUIS would continue issuing guidelines regarding the importing of livestock. Performing korban overseas Another trend that has developed in recent years is the performing of korban overseas. Many Muslim Singaporeans have donated livestock for korban to both Islamic and non-Islamic countries as part of their charity and humanitarian relief efforts. After the korban ritual is performed, the meat is distributed to the less fortunate in these countries. In 2005, a group of Muslim Singaporeans donated cattle for the korban to the residents of Banda Aceh. This was in done to help those locals who had been affected by the December 2004 tsunami, which had occurred just one month prior to Hari Raya Haji. Some Muslim Singaporeans also see performing the korban overseas as an opportunity to bond with their relatives who live abroad in places like Malaysia. Another reason for some Muslim Singaporeans preferring to perform the korban overseas is the relatively lower costs compared to carrying out the ritual locally. This is because the price of korban sheep in Singapore has been increasing rapidly due to unfavourable exchange rates, falling supply of livestock, inflation and higher costs of logistics and transport. In 2011, the cost of each sheep was S$443.50, a 50 percent increase from the year before. It was then the highest recorded price for korban sheep. Hari raya puasa is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The religious Eid is a single day during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The date for 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. However, in most countries, it is generally celebrated on the same day as Saudi Arabia. Eid al-Fitr has a particular Salat consisting of two Rakats and generally offered in an open field or large hall. If the moon is not observed immediately after the 29th day of the previous lunar month. Before the advent of Islam in Arabia, there is mention of festivals as well as some others among the Arabs. The Israelites had festivals as well, but as is evident from the Old Testament and other scriptures, these festivals related more to commemorating certain days of their history. Eid al-Fitr was originated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal at the end of the month of Ramadan. For Muslims, both the festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are occasions for showing gratitude to God and remembering Him, and are an occasion of entertainment. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. This has to do with the communal aspects of the fast, which expresses many of the basic values of the Muslim community.
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 05:36:11 +0000
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