This Eid is celebrated on the 10th day of the 12th months of the Muslim calendar (Zulhijjah/ Zil-Hajj). This year, the festival falls on the 15th October 2013.
Eidil Adha or Eidul Adha, regardless of the spelling, in Malaysia is known as Hari Raya Haji (Hajj Celebration Day). It is celebrated in relation to the performance of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj.
This special day is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice,as those who have the means would sacrifice animals like sheep and cattle and would donate the meat to the poor and charitable homes.It is a practice done in commemoration of the sacrifice undertaken by Prophet Abraham (Peace Be Upon Him).
A bit of the history………..
Prophet Abraham’s faith was tested by Allah when he was asked to sacrifice his son. His love for his son was great, but his love for Allah was greater. For the love of God, Abraham pulled himself together and placed the knife on the throat of his beloved son, who was then readily consented to be sacrificed.
Suddenly a sheep appeared and Abraham heard the voice of the Archangel Gabriel, delivering the message from God to replace the sheep in the place of his son, to be slaughtered , instead.
The sacrificing of these animals on every Eidul Adha is done as the way of expressing the inner feeling that, if need be, a Muslim will sacrifice his most loved possession of God.
There are a few versions of this story, and I’m sharing one of them here.
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