Lesser Known Facts About Eid ul Adha

With Eid Al-Adha approaching, Muslims are preparing for one of the most important feasts on the Islamic calendar. Eid Al-Adha is a time of year for religion, penance, and, of course, loads of meat for everyone. It is a holiday that is rich in cultural and historical importance for Muslims all over the world.
So, to kick off the festivities, we’ve compiled a list of a few of the lesser-known facts about the historic event:

A Recap of the Origins of Eid Al-Adha

It is going to be a beautiful journey with the facts of Eid al-Adha. The tale of Eid Al-Adha has a particular place in the hearts of all Abrahamic religion adherents, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. It is a story that all three agree on and celebrate in their way. 

The narrative of how Eid Al-Adha became such a significant event for Muslims worldwide is rich in knowledge and symbolism.

Prophet Ibrahim began having repeated nightmares of himself slaying his then-13-year-old son, which he interpreted as a message from God that he needed to demonstrate his faith by being prepared to sacrifice even the dearest thing to him, his son’s life. 

Ibrahim shared his hopes with his son, who was born as a result of Ibrahim’s long prayers to God. The 13-year-old indicated his desire to be sacrificed to demonstrate his faith in Allah, viewing it as the ultimate honor. 

Ibrahim brings his son to the top of Mount Arafat in Mecca to fulfill Allah’s demands, when the Archangel Gabriel reveals that he has passed Allah’s test. And provides him a ram or sheep from heaven to sacrifice instead of his son.

Facts of Eid Al-Adha – It  marks the end of the Hajj season:

An intriguing feature of Eid Al-Adha is that it marks the completion of the Hajj (pilgrimage) season, which occurs in the month of Zul Hijjah (the last month of the Lunar Islamic calendar.) 

Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars and often involves Muslims from all over the globe traveling to Mecca to pay their respects to Allah. And be cleansed of past misdeeds. Eid Al-Adha is commemorated after the Hajj season.

The Ritual Sacrifice of Eid Al-Adha Has Symbolic Rather Than Literal Importance

Many foreign spectators of the feast have criticized the sacrifice of an innocent animal as a harsh rite that contradicts the Quranic concept that God loves all living beings equally. 

Many people do not realize that the ceremony is more symbolic than actual. And that it is intended to demonstrate believers’ readiness to give up even their most valued belongings for Allah’s sake. 

The deeper meaning transcends the physical and signifies the giving up of a connection to material wants possessions and other things in exchange for greater devotion to Allah. 

Finally, meat is shared among everybody to benefit the least fortunate. It is recommended to slaughter cows in their prime medical condition.

A particular prayer is chanted before sheep are slaughtered at Eid to sanctify the sacrifice. It is also usual to sacrifice animals in good health to ensure that the meat is of the finest quality. 

The rituals must be performed in a halal manner, including cutting the animal’s jugular vein and carotid artery.

The Meat is Divided Into Thirds as Follows

The division of meat is another fact about eid ul adha. It is not only usual for Muslims to consume the flesh of the slain animal on Eid Al-Adha. But it is also an essential element of the ritual to distribute the meat so that even the least fortunate can share the feast. 

The meat is distributed in thirds, with one-third going to the household where the sacrifice is performed. Another third goes to their families and neighbors, and the final third goes to the poor to ensure that no one is left out of the celebration.

Using Different Routes to Walk Home From Eid Prayers

Let’s talk about the intriguing fact of Eid UL Azha. This one is a little weird, but it is a tradition to walk home from the Eid prayer by a new pathway than you traveled to get there. 

Dishes Made to Celebrate Eid El-Adha Differ by Country

While mutton or meat is the centerpiece of most Eid El-Adha cuisine. The way the meat is prepared varies significantly from country to country. This is not surprising given that Islam is widely practiced around the world and cultures vary from region to region. Traditional Moroccan tagines, Turkish Oruk, and Indian lamb biryani are a few examples.

Other Facts of Eid El Adha

• Eid al-Adha commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael under God’s command. Instead, God replaced Abraham with a sheep to slaughter at the last moment. 

• Eid al-Adha is celebrated after Hajj (the yearly pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia) which is one of Islam’s five pillars. Every year, approximately 3 million Muslims go to Saudi Arabia to perform the obligatory prayer Hajj. 

• Eid al-Adha is the second of two Eid celebrations, the first Eid occurs after Ramadan which is named Eid Al-Fitr.

• Salat ul-Eid is a vital prayer held on the first day of Eid to begin things off. 

• During Eid al-Adha, males, females, and kids dress in their most admirable apparel, and those who can afford it sacrifice a whole halal animal often a sheep or a cow. And in some areas a camel.

• The meat is split into three parts: one third is kept by the family, another third is distributed to relatives, friends, and neighbors, and the other third is distributed to needy people. The aim is that on Eid al-Adha, no underprivileged person would go hungry. 

• The sacrificed animal is known as Udiyyah (Arabic for “the sacrificed”) and must follow a series of requirements, including being of a specific age and of the most excellent quality possible.

• The fried liver is frequently eaten for breakfast, while the remainder of the animal is offered for lunch and supper. 

• Cooking techniques and recipes vary from country to country. One of the most common methods to prepare mutton in the Arab world is to braise it slowly with garlic, cumin, and onion. 

• Biryanis are very popular in Southeast Asia, whereas kebab (kebap in Turkish) is famous in Turkey.

• Consequently, Eid-ul-Adha symbolizes the “Festival of Sacrifice.”

• You can continue the celebrations of Eid-ul-Adha from two to four days, depending on the nation. 

• Following the Eid Salaah (Eid Prayers), which are recited in the assembly at the nearby Mosque on the morning of Eid, the act of Qurbani (sacrifice) is performed. 

• Qurbani is the act of slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice to observe this date in memory of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice for Allah SWT. This is also referred to as Udhiya. The three days of animal sacrifice last from the 10th to the 12th of Dhu-al-Hijjah. 

• The slaughtered animal must be a lamb, sheep, cow, goat, camel, or a bull; a lamb, goat, or sheep is worth one Qurbani share, but a cow, camel, or bull is worth seven. 

• To be slaughtered in a “halal” friendly, Islamic manner, the animal must be in good medical health condition and beyond a specific age.

Conclusion

Muslims around the world celebrate different occasions and Eid al-Adha is one of them. As Eid is approaching, make sure that you have what it takes to make this Eid a better one for your friends and family.