Iran Press/ Africa: Millions of Muslims on Wednesday celebrated Eid al-Adha in all parts of Nigeria, one of the most significant festivals in the Muslims' calendar which remembers the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail when Allah ordered him to slaughter him.
In Bauchi State of the North East, hundreds of thousands gathered at Eid ground to observe the prayer. After the prayer, traditional title holders organized a Durbar festival to celebrate the 2023 Eid al-Adha.
The Durbar Festival represents the use of horses in wars and combat and also remembers the resistance of the Northern Nigerian Muslims who resisted the invasion, war, and barbaric atrocities of Britain in 1903 which led to the downfall of the Islamic government with the then leader, Muhammadu Attahiru.
The Islamic government was established by revolutionary and Islamic scholar, Shehu Usman bin Fodio who died before the invasion of the British military.
The horse riders wearing ancient amour and other war garments with spears, bows and arrows, and swords pay salutation to the current Bauchi Emir, Dr. Rudhwan Sulaiman Adamu while thousands of people gathered to watch.
In Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shetttima attended the Eid prayer held at airport road Eid ground where the Chief Imam of the National Mosque, Professor Ibrahim Maqari led the prayer.
Eid al-Adha is observed on the 11th of Zul-Hajj of the Islamic calendar to show Muslims' devotion to God by imitating Prophet Ibrahim's sacrifice.
However, after Prophet Ibrahim passed the trial of God who ordered him to sacrifice his son in the name of God, and because of his willingness to do so, God provided him with a ram to sacrifice in his son's place.
In commemoration of this intervention, animals are ritually sacrificed. Part of their meat is consumed by the family that offers the animal, while the rest of the meat is distributed to the poor and the needy. The types of animals Muslims sacrifice during the Eid al-Adha (known also as Qurbani) include rams, sheep, goats, cows, and camels.
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