Iran Press- On this day, the Hajj pilgrims, after completing their Hajj rituals and traditional rites, sacrifice (slaughter ) an animal on the plain of Mena , and following this , what was religiously forbidden for them during the Hajj period , becomes 'Halal" or allowed , such as clipping their finger nails, combing their hair, and looking at themselves in a mirror.
When is the Eid al Adha (also known as Eid Ghorban or the feast of the sacrifice)?
The the Eid al-Adha festivity is held on the 10th day of the month of Zil Hajjeh, and is a major festivity for all Muslim denominations throughout the world.
The philosophy behind sacrificing an animal (usually a sheep) on the occasion of Eid al Adha:
One of the teachings of Islam for growth and perfection of human beings, is to sacrifice your life or to give up your property and possessions in the way of Allah. This means all of us should consider all of our possessions and wealth as a gift from God , and thus we should spend it in the way of God. Thus sacrifice represents , in a symbolic way, cutting yourself off from this material world , and dedicating yourself to the Almighty. Thus sacrificing a sheep , symbolically represents severing of links with this material world.
The Almighty has referred to sacrificing a sheep as a way that a devout and faithful person can pay homage and express his gratitude to God, a way of thanking God for his guidance.
Bosnian Muslims celebrate Eid Al Adha
Sacrifice in Islam
In his old age Prophet Abraham became the proud father of two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, both of whom he loved dearly. When his older son Ishmael (Ismail) was in his teenage years, the Almighty ordered Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his elder son, via a dream.
On the night of 8th of Zil Hajjeh, Prophet Abraham saw in his dream that the Lord had ordered him to sacrifice his elder son. He woke up , distraught and not sure whether his dream was an order form God or a trick , a ruse, from the Devil .
On the following night , 9th of Zil Hajjeh, the night of Arafeh, Prophet Abraham again saw the same dream , and also the following night, the 'night of Nahr' or the night of Eid al-Adha , he again saw the same dream and became certain that the Almighty had ordered him to sacrifice his elder son, Ishmael.
So, the following morning , the morning of the Eid al-Adha , Abraham bid farewell to his wife, Hajar, and took his son, Ishmael with him to the plain of Mena. There he told his teenage son about him dream , and Ishmael replied: "Dear father, if I had a thousand lives, I would sacrifice every one of them on God's command , and I would willingly surrender to the Lord most High.
Turks celebrate Eid al-Adha with prayers
Satan tried to trick Prophet Abraham at the first "Jamareh" in the plain of Mena. Abraham threw seven stones at the Satan, and drove him away. But again Satan approached him on the second and third "Jamarehs" , in the plain of Mena and on each occasion, Prophet Abraham threw seven stones at the Satan, and rejected Satan's call.
Thus "the stoning of the Devil" , three times, became one of the essential rituals and rites of the Hajj pilgrimage, and it is so until today. The Rami Jamarat, as it is known, is an important part of the Hajj rituals.
Prophet Abraham placed his son's forehead on the ground, took out a sharp knife, and put it on his sons throat and started to cut his throat. But by a divine miracle, the knife did not cut Ishmaels skin, throat and veins and arteries. Just then, a message came to Abraham, a revelation, that his "act of sacrifice" had been accepted by the Lord , even though his son was still alive !!
Russia's Muslims Celebrate Eid al-Adha Holiday in Central Moscow
Today, Tuesday 21 August 2018, has been declared as the day of the Eid al-Adha , the Feast of Sacrifice, in some Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Bosnia Hercegovina, Turkey , Palestine, and Russia . Some Islamic countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran , celebrate the Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, tomorrow , Wednesday 22 August 2018.
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