sity of California Press, 1971).
Id al-Adha
(Arabic: Feast of Sacrifice)
The most important yearly festival
holiday
of the
Islamic
calendar
is Id al-Adha, or al-Id al-Kabir
(Great Feast). It is also known as Id al-Qurban
(Feast of Sacrifice), as well as Qurban Bayrami
(Sacrifice Feast) in Turkic lands, Bakar Id (Goat
Feast) in i
ndia
, and Reraya Qurben (Sacrifice
Holiday) in i
ndonesia
. In Muslim-majority coun-
tries today, it has been declared a public holiday.
The festival begins on the 10th day of the 12th
month (Dhu al-Hijja) of the Islamic lunar year, at
the conclusion of the annual
haJJ
rites in m
ecca
,
and lasts for up to four days. According to Islamic
law, Muslims around the world who are able are
obliged to sacrifice an unblemished sheep, goat,
cow, or
camel
. They are also expected to attend
a special communal
prayer
, traditionally held in
open air or at a
mosqUe
, where they listen to a
holiday sermon. Unlike other prayer times, there
is no
adhan
(call to prayer) performed. Muslims
believe that the festival represents complete obe-
dience to God, as a
braham
obeyed him when
commanded to sacrifice his son. According to the
story, which has biblical roots and is retold in the
q
Uran
and Islamic exegetical literature, a ram was
substituted in place of Abraham’s son. Among the
Shia, this story is associated with themes of
mar
-
tyrdom
and redemption.
The sacrificial feast allows all Muslims, pil-
grims and nonpilgrims alike, to experience a sense
of community at the conclusion of the hajj. Men
customarily perform the sacrifice with their own
hands according to ritual slaughtering procedures
approved by Islamic law, but meat can also be
obtained from qualified butchers. In Mecca, there
are special slaughtering facilities in the pilgrim
town of Mina, just outside the holy city. Muslims
living in the U
nited
s
tates
or Europe obtain their
meat from a
halal
butcher, or they go to a farm
where they can purchase an animal and slaughter
it themselves, as they would in a Muslim country.
Women
participate by preparing dishes made from
the meat of the sacrificed animal. Everywhere
Id al-Adha is a very festive time when people
gather together with family and friends.
children
wear bright new clothing. Muslim girls in India
and p
akistan
show off fresh henna designs on
their hands and arms. In many communities, the
holiday affirms ties to deceased loved ones and
the poor, because people distribute food to the
needy in memory of the dead. Women usually
visit cemeteries during the Id to do this. Meat may
also be distributed through mosques and Islamic
charities, making Id al-Adha one of the few times
in the year when the needy eat meat. In modern
times, the internet has made it possible for people
to make donations online by credit card so that
needy Muslims anywhere in the world can join in
the
Feasting
.
See also
almsgiving
;
animals
;
Food
and
drink
;
FUnerary
ritUals
.
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: