Eid al-Adha 2020.
Known as Eid al-Adha, Eid ul Adha, Id-ul-Azha, Id-ul-Zuha, Hari Raya Haji or Bakr-id; the 'Feast of Sacrifice' is the most important feast of the Muslim calendar.
The festival may also be known as Al Eid Al Kabeer, which means the 'Grand Eid'. It has this more important status as in religious terms as this Eid lasts for four days whereas Eid Al Fitr is one day, even though most countries observe about the same number of public holidays for both Eids.
This festival is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God.
Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar.
As the exact day is based on lunar sightings, the date may vary between countries.
Traditions of Eid Al Adha
Eid al-Adha concludes the Pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid al-Adha lasts for three days and commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son.
The same story appears in the Bible and is familiar to Jews and Christians. One key difference is that Muslims believe the son was Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. Eid Al Lahma, which means the 'meat Eid'
According to the Quran, Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son when a voice from heaven stopped him and allowed him to make something else as a 'great sacrifice'. In the Old Testament, it is a ram that is sacrificed instead of the son.
In Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and an ancestor of Muhammad.
During the feast of Eid Al Adha, Muslims re-enact Ibrahim's obedience by sacrificing a cow or ram. The family will eat about a third of the meal a third goes to friends and relatives, and the remaining third is donated to the poor and needy.
Did you know?
In Egypt, the festival is often called Eid Al Lahma, which means the 'meat Eid'.
The giving of charity in the form of money, food or clothes to the homeless or poor is another key tradition of Eid al Adha.Eid ul Adha is a festival celebrated among Muslims all over the world in remembrance of the sacrifice that Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) made out of his strong faith in Allah.
Ibrahim (AS) showed a willingness to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail (A.S.) but his son was replaced with a lamb by Allah. Allah was so pleased with Ibrahim’s (A.S.) submission to Him that He made this demonstration of sacrifice and faith a permanent part of a Muslim’s life. This event is mentioned in Quran - Surah As-Saffat (37:102).
Hence, every year on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid ul Azha. On this day, Muslims slaughter a lamb, sheep, goat or a camel to honor the sacrifice of Ibrahim (AS).
Both Eid ul Fitr and Eid Al-Adha have great significance in Islam as the same is evident from the following Hadith of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.):
“Allah has given you better than those feasts (festivals of non-believers): the ‘Eid-ul-Adha’ and ‘Eid-ul-Fitr.’”
(An-Nasai: 1556)
Fasting on Eid al-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr are strictly forbidden as the same is obvious from the following Hadith of our beloved Prophet (S.A.W.):
"No fasting is permissible on the two days of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.”
First 10 days of Dhul Hijjah
Dhul Hijjah is one of the four sacred months of Islamic Calendar and first 10 days of this month are the days which are selected by Allah as the best days of the year.
1- There are many Hadiths and Quranic Ayahs show great emphasis on doing good deeds during these blessed days. Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) said:
“No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja).’”
2- Rituals of Hajj are started during the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah (from 8th to 13th).
3- Fasting on the day of Arafah (9th Dhul Hijjah) is a confirmed Sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) but only for those who are not performing Hajj. Fasting on this day is a forgiveness for two years. (Ibn Majah: 1731)
4- Eid al Adha is celebrated during these 10 days (10th Dhul Hijjah) and animals are sacrificed on these day (10th to 13th).
5- Days of Tashriq starts on 9th of Dhul Hijjah (9th to 13th) and these are days of eating and drinking. During the days of Tashriq, it is necessary for every Muslim (male or female, whether praying in congregation or alone) to say the Takbir (Takbirs of Tashriq) immediately after each obligatory (fard) prayer from the Fajr Prayer on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah to the Asr Prayer on the 13th of Dhul Hijjah. Thus, these Takbirs last 5 days, and 23 prayers.
Eid al-Adha 2020 (Bakrid 2020)
Bakri-Id is an annual festival celebrated by the Muslim community globally. Distribution of meat among relatives and chanting the takbir are some of the most important practices on this.
The God had provided a male goat to Abraham to sacrifice as a substitute before he forwent his son. As per the God’s instructions, the male goat was sacrificed by dividing into 3 spares. The poor were offered the one-third of the share and another portion was given to friends and families. The residual portion was retained by the family of Abraham.
When does the date of Eid al-Adha fall? The festival date usually falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, according to the Islamic lunar calendar. As far as the international calendar is concerned, the date of the festival will change every year. The festival is celebrated across the world with different names. In Urdu and Hindi languages, Eid al-Adha is called Bakr-Eid. In Uzbekistan, Eid al-Adha is celebrated as Qurbon Hayiti. In Bangladesh, it is called Idul Azha. In Bengali, it is called Kurbanir Id. In Egypt, Eid al-Adha is celebrated as Id ul Baqarah.
Top 5 Destination To Celebrate Eid al-Adha 2020
If you are in search of the best places in India to celebrate Eid al-Adha 2020 with your friends and families, consider the following destinations:
- New Delhi: New Delhi, the cosmopolitan city, celebrates both forms of Eid in a grand manner. Thousands of Muslims gather at the Jama Masjid to submit prayers to the God. The festival meals are being prepared by the restaurants in the city.
- Srinagar: Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir, city has its own history as far as the festival of Eid al-Adha is concerned. The Muslims across the nation visit this destination to pray at the Aasar-e-Shareef Hazratbal. The festival meals are offered by restaurants and stalls. Visitors can shop at Goni Market, Lal Chawk and Regal Chowk.
- Lucknow: Lucknow, a town of Nawabs, is famous for many things. The city offers a plenty of points for its gastronomy. Muslims visit Lucknow to submit prayers to the God at Aishbagh Eidgah, which is the largest common praying place in the city.
- Kolkata: Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, celebrates the festival of Eid al-Adha grandly. The destination attracts thousands of Muslim on the festival day. Consider this place to spend Eid al-Adha 2020 with your friends and families.
- Hyderabad: Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, is also called the city of Nizams. Many Muslims across the country visit Charminar to pray on the festival day. Like other cities, the festival meals are being served by stalls and hotels. The famous spots for celebrations include Madannapet and Masab Tank.
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