Eid al-Adha

Etymology

The Arabic word عيد (ʿīd) means 'festival', 'celebration', 'feast day', or 'holiday'. The word عيد is a triliteral root (ʕ-y-d), with associated root meanings of "to go back, to rescind, to accrue, to be accustomed, habits, to repeat, to be experienced; appointed time or place, anniversary, feast day". Arthur Jeffery contested this etymology, and believed the term to have been borrowed into Arabic from Syriac, or less likely Targumic Aramaic.

The holiday is called عيد الأضحى (Eid-al-Adha) or العيد الكبير (Eid-al-Kabir) in Arabic. The words أضحى (aḍḥā) and قربان (qurbān) are synonymous in meaning 'sacrifice' (animal sacrifice), 'offering' or 'oblation'. The first word comes from the triliteral root ضحى (ḍaḥḥā) with the associated meanings "immolate; offer up; sacrifice; victimize". No occurrence of this root with a meaning related to sacrifice occurs in the Qur'an but in the Hadith literature. Assyrians and other Middle Eastern Christians use the term to mean the Eucharistic host. The second word derives from the triliteral root (qaraba) with associated meanings of "closeness, proximity... to moderate; kinship...; to hurry; ...to seek, to seek water sources...; scabbard, sheath; small boat; sacrifice". Arthur Jeffery recognizes the same Semitic root, but believes the sense of the term to have entered Arabic through Aramaic.

Eid al-Adha is pronounced Eid al-Azha and Eidul Azha, primarily in Iran and influenced by the Persian language, in the Indian subcontinent.

Origin

According to Islamic tradition, one of the main trials of Abraham's life was to receive and obey the command of God to slaughter his beloved son, Ishmael. According to the narrative, Abraham kept having dreams that he was sacrificing his son. Abraham knew that this was a command from God. He told his son, as stated in the Quran, Abraham prepared to submit to the will of God and to slaughter his son as an act of faith and obedience to God. During the preparation, Iblis (Satan) tempted Abraham and his family by trying to dissuade them from carrying out God's commandment, and Abraham drove Iblis away by throwing pebbles at him. In commemoration of their rejection of Iblis, stones are thrown during Hajj rites at symbolic pillars, symbolising the place at which Iblis tried to dissuade Abraham.

Acknowledging that Abraham was willing to sacrifice what was dear to him, God honoured both Abraham and his son. The Angel Gabriel (Jibreel) proclaimed, "O Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the revelations," and a ram from heaven was offered by Angel Gabriel to prophet Abraham to slaughter instead of his son. Many Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha to commemorate both the devotion of Abraham and the survival of his son Ishmael.

This story is known as the Akedah in Judaism (Binding of Isaac) and originates in the Torah, in the first book of Moses (Genesis, Ch. 22). The Akedah is referred to in the Quran in its 37th surah, As-Saaffat.

The word "Eid" appears once in Al-Ma'ida, the fifth surah of the Quran, with the meaning "a festival or a feast".— Jesus, son of Mary, prayed, "O Allah, our Lord! Send us from heaven a table spread with food as a feast for us—the first and last of us—and as a sign from You. Provide for us! You are indeed the Best Provider." — Said Jesus, the son of Mary, "O Allāh, our Lord, send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven to be for us a festival for the first of us and the last of us and a sign from You. And provide for us, and You are the best of providers."

Observances

When preceding Eid al-Adha and during the Eid and Tashreeq days, Muslims recite the takbir. Like on Eid al-Fitr, the Eid prayer is performed on Eid al-Adha any time after sunrise and before the Zuhr prayer. In the event of a force majeure, the prayer may be delayed to the day after or the second day after Eid. The Eid prayer is followed by a khutbah (sermon). At the conclusion of the prayers and sermon, Muslims embrace and exchange gifts and greetings with one another, such as the phrase Eid Mubarak. Many Muslims also take this opportunity to invite their friends, neighbours and colleagues to the festivities to better acquaint them about Islam and Muslim culture.[[File:Eid_Blessings_WDL6855.png|thumb|right|Arabic calligraphic fragment dated to the early 18th century displaying blessings for Eid al-Adha]]

Udhiyah

Main article: Qurban (Islamic ritual sacrifice)

After the Eid prayer, udhiyah, or the ritual sacrifice of cattle, is performed. Muslims who can afford it sacrifice halal cattle, usually a camel, goat, sheep, or ram, as a symbol of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son. The animals have to meet certain age and quality standards to be considered for sacrifice. The meat from the sacrificed animal is generally divided into three parts: the family performing the udhiyah retains a third; while the remainder is equally divided between friends and relatives, and the poor.

The tradition for Eid al-Adha involves slaughtering an animal and sharing the meat in three equal parts – for family, for relatives and friends, and for poor people. The goal is to make sure every Muslim gets to eat meat. However, there is a dissent among Muslim scholars regarding the obligatory nature of this sacrifice. While some scholars, such as Al-Kasani, categorise the sacrifice as obligatory (wāǧib), others regard it only as an "established custom" (sunna mu'akkada). Alternatives such as charitable donations or fasting have been suggested to be permissible by several fuqaha.[[File:PikiWiki Israel 28887 Eid al-Adha Homemade Cookies.jpg|thumb|[[Ma'amoul]], a traditional Eid cookie in parts of the Muslim world]]

Muslims are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer in a large congregation in an open waqf ("stopping") field called Eidgah or mosque. Cuisine traditionally associated with Eid al-Adha includes ma'amoul and samosas.

Traditions around the world

Bangladesh

Eid Ul Adha is commonly known as Korbanir Eid () among Bengalis, which means the festival of Qurbani (sacrifice). Bangladesh sacrifices most animals per year during Eid Al Adha, estimates indicate about 13 million animals are sacrificed each year. Starting from the first day of Dhul-Hijjah, temporary cattle markets, known as haat begin to appear across Bangladesh. The animals are traditionally decorated with garlands. Many working people in Dhaka, goes back to their hometowns to celebrate. Traditional Bengali meat dishes like Kala bhuna, Chui Jhal, Khasir Rezala and Qorma are eaten with pulao or rotis, traditionally made of rice flours, or pithas like chitoi and soi pitha. In Sylhet, Nunor Bora and Handesh are traditionally served as snacks during tea times or addas.

Pakistan

Around the world, different traditions are followed on Eid al-Adha. In Pakistan applying henna is a famous tradition amongst women. In Pakistan, children receive Eidi which is money and gifts given from elders.

Middle East

In the Middle East, traditional sweets are made.

Africa

In African nations, gifts are given among friends and family is invited to feasts. While the cultures are different, the key values of celebration remain the same. Those values are giving, feasts, family, and grant celebrations.

In the Gregorian 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 as 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 two to four Gregorian dates in 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. The Umm al-Qura calendar is just a guide for planning purposes and not the absolute determinant or fixer of dates. Confirmations of actual dates by moon sighting are applied on the 29th day of the lunar month prior to Dhu al-Hijja 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 Mount Arafat and descend from it after sunrise of the listed day.

In many countries, the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on the observation of the new moon by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality.

Explanatory notes

References

Sources

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