 "Eid, Jama Masjid")
Eid-ul-Adha is an auspicious festival for Muslims who celebrate it across the world on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah (the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar). This festival is also known as Bakra Eid, Bakrid, Eid Qurban, Bakhreid, Eid al-Adha, Qurban Bayarami or the Feast of Sacrifice. It is the second major Islamic festival celebrated post Eid-ul-Fitr.
It commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. The festival holds special significance and is marked by different rituals and devotion acts when it falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month Dhul Hijjah, following the completion of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.
The festival brings great joy among Muslims across the world when families come together and communities gather to celebrate the auspicious occasion. Eid ul-Adha is a time when Muslims love to dress in the finest clothes, often new garments and attend special congregations at mosques or outdoor prayer grounds. The festival is marked by preparation of delicious meals at homes, often with sacrificial meat.
The sermon during the Eid-ul-Adha prayers emphasises the values of sacrifice, obedience to God, and compassion for others. The central ritual of Eid-ul-Adha is the Qurbani or animal sacrifice, usually a goat, sheep, cattle or camel.
This act symbolises the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son and demonstrates the importance of selflessness and devotion to god. The sacrificed animal is then divided into three parts; one for the family, one for relatives and friends and one for the less fortunate. It is believed sharing meat with those in need is the fundamental aspect of Eid ul-Adha, fostering compassion, generosity and solidarity within communities.
This festival is an occasion for all Muslims to come together and strengthen the bonds of friendship and kinship. It is a time for Muslim unity and they celebrate it with traditional dishes and desserts, which are prepared and enjoyed like special sweets including sheer khurma, commonly prepared and served.
When will the world celebrate the Eid ul Adha?
People living in countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and other Arab states along with the UK, US and Canada will look for the crescent moon on the evening of 29th of Hijri calendar month Dhul Qa’adah (the month before Dhul Hijjah), which is June 6, 2024. If spotted, the month of Dhul Hijjah will begin the next day, June 7, 2024, and the Eid-ul-Adha celebration will commence on June 16, 2024 (Dhul Hijjah 10) while the day of Araf – the key ritual of Hajj – will be observed on Tuesday, June 15, 2024 (Dhul Hijjah 9).
When will Muslims in India and eastern countries celebrate Eid-ul-Adha?
Muslims in India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Hong Kong, the Sultanate of Brunei and other South Asian nations are set to observe the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah on June 7, 2024, and if sighted, Eid-ul-Adha in these nations will be celebrated on June 17, 2024, otherwise on June 18, 2024. The beginning of the Islamic month of Dhu Al-Hijjah marks the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which is followed by Eid-Al-Adha on the tenth day.
Every pilgrim must visit Hajj in his lifetime. On the other note, as per astronomical calculation, the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah is unlikely to be spotted on June 6, 2024.
