Eid- ul- Adha is one of the most important Islamic holiday of the year.

Eid-ul-Adha marks the end of Hajj, the sacred pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. The hajj to Mecca is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation upon male and female adults whose health and means permit it, or, in the words of the Qur'an, upon "those who can make their way there." The history of Eid-ul-Adha can be traced back to the story which states that Abraham was instructed by Allah, in a dream, to raise the foundations of Kaaba,the most sacred shrine in Mecca. Muslims believe that even after undergoing a lot of trials and tribulations on his way to Mecca, God revealed in a dream to Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismail.Abrahim and Ismail set off to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to lead Abraham astray by disobeying God and not to sacrifice his beloved son. But Abraham remained unfaltered in his decision and true to God, and drove the devil away. As Abraham prepared to kill his son, God stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead. Popularly known as the Festival of Sacrifice, this Muslim holiday Eidul-Adha commemorates Prophet Abrahams unselfish act of sacrificing(Qurbani) his own son to the One God, Allah. The festival reminds everyone of the mercy and benefits bestowed upon mankind by Allah. Muslims commemorate this outstanding act of sacrifice by themselves slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, or a goat. When this is done, 1/3 of the meat goes to the needy people, 1/3 is given to neighbors and friends, and 1/3 stays with your family. People who are away from the holy pilgrimage, Hajj, also carry out this traditional sacrifice. This act also reminds the pilgrim to share worldly goods with those who are less fortunate, and serves as an offer of thanksgiving to God. People visit each other's homes and partake in festive meals with special dishes, beverages, and desserts. Children receive gifts and sweets on this happy occasion. Eid ul-Adha occurs on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja.But the date of Eid-ul-Adha depends on the visibility of the moon each year. OTHER NAMES FOR THE FESTIVAL OF EID-UL-ADHA It is often referred to as the "Kurban Bayrami" (from Turkish) or "Sacrifice Feast". Eid ul-Adha is also known as Hari Raya Haji in Singapore and Malaysia and Tabaski in West Africa. In south-east Asia Eid-ul-Adha is known by the name Hari Raya Aidiladha.Indians know Eid-ul-Adha as Id al-Adha or Iduz Zuha. And in Bangladesh, Eid-ul-Adha is known as Eid-ul-Azha or sometimes even Id al-Adha. But whatever the name, the celebratory spirit of Eid-ul-Adha runs high among Muslims all over the world, the geographical variations notwithstanding. Eid al-Adha (Arabic: du l-A) or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.[1] The meat is divided into three parts to be distributed to others. The family retains one third of the share, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the other third is given to the poor & needy.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, whose basis comes from Sura 2 (Al-Baqara) Ayah 196 in the Qur'an.[2] Like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a Wajib prayer of two Raka'ah (units) followed by a sermon (khubah). The word "Eid" appears in Sura al-Mai'da ("The Table Spread," Chapter 5) of the Qur'an, meaning 'solemn festival'.[3] Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah ( ) of the lunar Islamic calendar.[4] Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months & 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan, i.e. Eid-ul-Fitr. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. The Arabic term "Festival of Sacrifice", Eid ul-A, was borrowed as a unit from Semitic roots that evolved into Indic languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and Bengali and Austronesian languages such as Malay and Indonesian (the last often spelling it as Idul Adha or Iduladha). Another Semitic word for "sacrifice" is the Arabic Qurbn (Arabic: ,)which is used in Dari Persian - Afghanistan and Iranian dialect of Persian as Eyde Ghorbn ,and in Tajik Persian as (Idi Qurbon), into Kazakh as (Qurban ayt), into Uyghur as Qurban Heyit, and also into various Indic languages. Other languages combined the Arabic word qurbn with local terms for "festival", as in Kurdish (Cejna Qurban[6]), Pashto (Kurbaneyy Akhtar), Chinese ( Grbng Ji), Malay and Indonesian (Hari Raya Korban, Qurbani), and Turkish (Kurban Bayram). The Turkish term was later used in other languages such as Azeri (Qurban Bayram), Tatar (Qorban Byrme), Bosnian and Croatian (Kurban-bajram), Serbian ( ), Russian (-). Another Arabic name, d ul-Kabr ( ` d al-Kabr), meaning "Greater Eid/Festival" (the "Lesser Eid" being Eid ul-Fitr[7]), is used in Yemen, Syria, and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt). The term was borrowed directly into French as Ad el-Kebir. Translations of "Big Eid" or "Greater Eid" are used in Pashto Loy Akhtar, Kashmiri Baed Eid, Hindi and Urdu Ba d, Malayalam Bali Perunnal, and Tamil Peru Nl. Another name refers to the fact that the holiday occurs after the culmination of the Hajj ( ,)or pilgrimage to Mecca (Makka). Such names are used in Malay and Indonesian (Hari Raya Haji "Hajj celebration day", Lebaran Haji), and in Tamil Hajji Peru Nl. In Urdu-speaking areas, the festival is also called Baqra d or Baqr d, stemming either from the Arabic baqarah "heifer" or the Urdu word baqr for "goat", as cows and goats are among the traditionally sacrificed animals. That term was also borrowed into other languages, such as Tamil Bakr Eid Peru Nl.

Other local names include Zishng Ji ("Slaughter-livestock Festival") in Chinese, Tfaska Tamoqqart in the Berber language of Djerba, Tabaski or Tobaski in West African languages,[8][9]Babbar Sallah in Nigerian languages, and ciida gawraca in Somali. Eid-al-Adha has had other popular names across the Muslim world. The name is often simply translated into the local language, such as English Festival of Sacrifice, German Opferfest, Dutch Offerfeest, Romanian Srbtoarea Sacrificiului and Hungarian ldozati nnep. Spanish Fiesta del Cordero.

[edit] Background
According to Islamic tradition, approximately four thousand years ago, the valley of Mecca (in what is now Saudi Arabia) was a dry, rocky and uninhabited place. Abraham ('Ibraheem in Arabic) was instructed to bring his Egyptian wife Hagar (Har) and Ishmael, his only child at the time (Ism'l), to Arabia from the land of Canaan (in Palestine as well as parts of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Sinai) by God's command. As Abraham was ready to return to Canaan, Hagar asked him, "Did Allah (God) order you to leave us here? or are you leaving us here to die." Abraham turned around to face his wife. He was so sad that he coudn't say anything. he pointed to the sky showing that God cammanded him to do so. Hagar said, "Then Allah will not wast us; you can go". though Abraham had left a large quantity of food and water with Hagar and Ishmael, the supplies quickly ran out, and within a few days the two began to feel the pangs of hunger and dehydration. Hagar ran up and down between two hills called Al-Safa and Al-Marwah seven times, in her desperate quest for water. Exhausted, she finally collapsed beside her baby Ishmael and prayed to God for deliverance. Miraculously, a spring of water gushed forth from the earth at the feet of baby Ishmael. Other accounts have the angel Gabriel (Jibril) striking the earth and causing the spring to flow in abundance. With this secure water supply, known as the Zamzam Well, they were not only able to provide for their own needs, but were also able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies. Years later, Abraham was instructed by God to return from Palestine to build a place of worship adjacent to Hagar's well (the Zamzam Well). Abraham and Ishmael constructed a stone and mortar structure known as the Kaaba which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in God. As the years passed, Ishmael was blessed with Prophethood (Nubuwwah) and gave the nomads of the desert his message of submission to God. After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving desert city and a major center for trade, thanks to its reliable water source, the well of Zamzam. One of the main trials of Abraham's life was to face the command of God to devote his dearest possession, his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to God's will. During this preparation, Satan (Shaitan) tempted Abraham and his family by trying to dissuade them from carrying out God's commandment, and Ibrahim and Ishmael

drove Satan away by throwing pebbles at him. In commemoration of their rejection of Satan, stones are thrown at symbolic pillars signifying Satan during the Hajj rites. When Ishmael was about 13 (Ibrahim being 99), Allah (God) decided to test their faith in and submission to Allah in public. Both father and son were put through the most difficult test of their love for Allah. Abraham had a recurring dream, in which God was commanding him to offer his son as a sacrifice an unimaginable act sacrificing his son, which God had granted him after many years of deep prayer, the one who had been the centre of his affection and love for all these years. Abraham knew that the dreams of the prophets were inspired by Allah, and one of the ways in which God communicated with his prophets. This must be what Allah had wanted him to do. When the intent of the dreams became clear to him, Abraham decided to fulfil God's command and offer his beloved son in sacrifice. Although Abraham was ready to sacrifice his dearest for Allahs sake, he could not just go and drag his son to the place of sacrifice without his consent. Isma'el had to be consulted as to whether he was willing to give up his life as fulfillment to God's command. This consultation would be a major test of Isma'els maturity in faith, love and commitment for Allah, willingness to obey his father and sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah. Abraham presented the matter to his son and asked for his opinion about the dreams of slaughtering him. Ishmael did not show any hesitation or reservation even for a moment. He said, Father, do what you have been commanded. You will find me, Insha'Allah (God willing), to be very patient. His mature response, his deep insight into the nature of dads dreams, his commitment to Allah, and ultimately his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah were all unprecedented. When both father and son had shown their perfect obedience to Allah and they had practically demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice their most precious possessions for His sakeAbraham by laying down his son for sacrifice and Ishmael by lying patiently under the knife Allah called out to them stating that his sincere intentions had been accepted, and that he need not carry out the killing of Ishmael. Instead, Abraham was told to replace his son with a ram to sacrifice instead. Allah also told them that they had passed the test imposed upon them by his willingness to carry out God's command.[10] This is mentioned in the Qur'an as follows: "O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!" So We gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old enough to walk and work with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now see what is your view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah wills, you will find me one practising patience and steadfastness!" So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, We called out to him saying: O Ibraheem! You have indeed fulfilled the vision; surely thus do We reward those who do good. Most surely this was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. And

We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations. "Peace and salutation to Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. Surely he was one of Our believing servants.[11] As a reward for this sacrifice, Allah then granted Abraham the good news of the birth of his second son, Is-haaq (Isaac): And We gave him the good news of Is-haaq, a prophet from among the righteous. [12] Abraham had shown that his love for his god superseded all others: that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dearest to him in submission to God's command. Muslims commemorate this ultimate act of sacrifice every year during Eid al-Adha.

The Sunnah of Eid al-Adha

In keeping with the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims are encouraged to prepare themselves for the occasion of Eid. Below is a list of things Muslims are recommended to do in preparation for the Eid al-Adha festival: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Wake up early (before sunrise). Make wudu (ablution) and offer Salat al-Fajr (the pre-sunrise prayer). Prepare for personal cleanliness - take care of details of clothing, etc. Take a Ghusl (bath) after Fajr prayer. Brush teeth (preferably with a miswak, or tooth-stick). Dress up, putting on new or best clothes available (White, when available, is optimal[13]). 7. Apply perfume (attar) (men only). 8. It is Sunnah not to eat anything before going to Eid prayers. Contrast with Eid ulFitr when eating dates is recommended. The sacrifice must be done after Eid prayers to be accepted as sacrifice. [14][15] 9. Go to the prayer grounds (known as an 'Eidgah') early.

Offer Salat al-Eid (the congregational Eid prayer) in an open place, weather permitting, or in mosque. Salat al-Eid (Eid Prayer)
Salat al-Eid is a Mustahabb (strongly recommended, but just short of obligatory) congregational prayer. Eid prayer must be offered in congregation. It consists of two Raka'ah (units) with seven Takbirs in the first Raka'ah and five Takbirs in the second Raka'ah . For Sunni Muslims, Salat al-Eid differs from the five daily canonical prayers in that no adhan (Call to Prayer) or iqama (call) is pronounced for the two Eid prayers.[16] However, Shi'ite Muslims may begin Salat al-Eid with adhan (Call to Prayer)with a

third repetition of the line "Hayya ala salah" ("Come to prayer")and iqama (call).[17] The Salaat (prayer) is then followed by the Khutbah, or sermon, by the Imam. The Khutbah is considered an integral part of the Eid prayer and so listening to it is thus considered Wajib. During the Khutbah, the Imam reminds the Muslim community about its responsibilities and obligations towards Allah, and good works, kindness, mercy and generosity towards their fellow Muslims and humanity as a whole. At the conclusion of the prayers and sermon, the Muslims embrace and exchange greetings with one other (Eid Mubarak), give gifts (Eidi) to children, and visit one another. Many Muslims also take this opportunity to invite their non-Muslims friends, neighbours, co-workers and classmates to their Eid festivities to better acquaint them about Islam and Muslim culture.[18] Use two separate routes when traveling to and from the Eid prayer location. Recite the following Takbir which starts at Maghrib (sunset) on the 9th of Dhu alhijah and last until the Asr on the 13th Dhu al-ilhijah: Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbar, Allahu-Akbar. La ilaha illa-lah wallahu-Akbar. Allahu-Akbar wa-lillahil-hamd, which translates to: "Allah (God) is the Greatest (3 times); there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest and to Him are due all praises."