Eid ul-Adha

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Eid ul-Adha
Official name	Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥā
Also called	The Festival of Sacrifice, Sacrifice Feast, عید قربان Eyde Ghorban (Iran), Kurban Bayramı (Turkey), Kurban Bajram (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria), ঈদ-উল-আজহা Id-ul-Azha or কোরবানী ঈদ Korbani Id (Bangladesh), Lebaran Haji (Indonesia), Kurban Ait (Kazakhstan), Hari Raya Haji/Iduladha/Aidiladha/Qurbani/Qurban (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore), Eid el-Kbir (Morocco, Egypt, Libya), Tfaska Tamoqqart (Berber language of Jerba), Tabaski/Tobaski (parts of Africa), Babbar Sallah (Nigeria and West Africa), Ciidwayneey (Somalia), Īd-ul-Azhā or Bakr Īd (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, South Africa)
Type	Islamic
Significance	Commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son for God. Marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj for the millions of Muslims who make the trip to Mecca each year.
Ends	13 Dhu al-Hijjah
2006 date	January 10 to January 14; December 31 to January 3, 2007
2007 date	December 20 to December 24
2008 date	December 8 to December 12
Observances	Prayer, sacrificing a goat, sheep or a camel, sending to poor people as a donation
Related to	Eid ul-Fitr, the other Islamic festival, which occurs after the last day of Ramadan

Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥā) is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael for God. It is one of two Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. Like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha also begins with a short prayer followed by a sermon (khuṭba).

Eid ul-Adha is three days long and starts on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar. This is the day after the pilgrims in Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. It happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan.

1 Other names for Eid ul-Adha
2 Traditions and practices
3 Eid ul-Adha in the Gregorian calendar
4 See also
5 External link

[edit] Other names for Eid ul-Adha

Eid-ul-Adha (Adha Eid) is also known as Hari Raya Haji/Iduladha/Aidiladha/Qurbani/Qurban in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore; Eid el-Kbir in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya; Tfaska Tamoqqart in the Berber language of Jerba; and Tabaski or Tobaski in some parts of Africa; Babbar Sallah in Nigeria and West Africa; Ciidwayneey in Somalia and Somali speaking regions of Kenya and Ethiopia.

In India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan it is also called Eid ul-Azha, goat is the major sacrificial animal in those countries. In Bangladesh it is called either ঈদ-উল-আজহা Id-ul-Azha or কোরবানী ঈদ Korbani Id. In South Africa it is also called Bakri Eid (or simply Bakrid in India).

In Turkey it is often referred to as the Kurban Bayramı or "Sacrifice Feast". Similarly, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Bulgaria it is referred as Kurban Bajram. In Kazakhstan, it is referred to as Kurban Ait. In Kurdish it is called Cejna Qurbanê[1]. This Eid is for 3 and 1/2 days. Also known as the bigger Eid because it is a day longer than Eid-ul-Fitar.

[edit] Traditions and practices

Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing and perform the Eid prayer (Salatu'l-`id) in any mosque. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually sheep, but also camels, cows, and goats) as a symbol of Ibrahim's (Abraham's) sacrifice. The sacrificed animals, called "udhiya Arabic: أضحية", have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. At the time of sacrifice, Allah's name is recited along with the offering statement and a supplication as Prophet Muhammad said. According to the Quran a large portion of the meat has to be given towards the poor and hungry people so they can all join in the feast which is held on Eid-ul-Adha.The remainder is cooked for the family celebration meal in which relatives and friends are invited to share in. The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid ul-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food during these days. Coming immediately after the annual hajj ends with the celebration of the Day of Mount Arafat. Eid ul-Adha is a concrete affirmation of what the Muslim community ethic means in practice. People in these days are expected to visit their relations, starting with their parents, then their families and friends. (Arabic audio with English meaning).

In the name of Allah	بسم الله
And Allah is the greatest	والله أكبر
O Allah, indeed this is from you and for you	اللهم إن هذا منك ولك
O Allah accept from me	اللهم تقبل مني

Distributing meat among people is considered an essential part of the festival during this period, as well as chanting Takbir out loud before the Eid prayer on the first day and after prayers through out the 4 days of Eid, see about Takbir in "Traditions and practices" of Eid ul-Fitr.

Eid Ghah

[edit] Eid ul-Adha in the Gregorian calendar

See also: Islamic calendar

While Eid ul-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 10 days shorter than the Solar calendar. Each year, Eid ul-Adha (like other Islamic holidays) falls on one of two different Gregorian dates in different parts of the world, due to the fact that the boundary of crescent visibility is different from the International date line.

[edit] See also

[edit] External link

Muslim holidays and observances
Muslim New Year \| Remembrance of Muharram \| Day of Ashura \| Imamat Day \| Arba'een \| Mawlid
Imam Musa al Kazim day \| Lailat al Miraj \| Shab-e-baraat \| Ramadan \| Laylat al-Qadr \| Eid ul-Fitr \| Eid ul-Adha