Well my lovelies, as many of you may have known, the 1st of September was Eid al Adha. Now, besides seeing all the cute little boys and girls walking around in their lovely new outfits, fresh and excited for the day, how much do you actually KNOW about this joyous occasion of Eid?

Eid al Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) is the second Eid celebrated by Muslims. The first, Eid al Fitr (Feast of Breaking Fast) occurs after the holy month of Ramadaan in which Muslims fast and become reacquainted with their love for the Holy Quran.

The celebration (Eid al Adha) occurs on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah on the Islamic calendar, although dates vary on our everyday calendar. Generally, Eid moves 11 days ahead each year.

Eid al Adha occurs towards the end of Hajj, which is a holy pilgrimage to Mecca, with various rituals that each Muslim has to undertake at least once in their lifetime (if they can) as part of the five pillars of Islam.

This Eid commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son, at Allah’s command. Allah then sees his willingness to obey and sends a goat to be the sacrificed instead, although some scholars say it was a ram.

Below is a Quranic verse pertaining to Abraham’s obedience to Allah.

“Surely Abraham was an example, obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous.” (Qur’an 16:120-121)

Every year, on Eid al Adha, Muslims who are able to, sacrifice either a ram or even a cow to thank Allah for his bountiful blessings. Most of the meat from the sacrifice is given away. One-third is given to family, one-third to friends and one-third to the poor. This symbolises the willingness of the Muslim to give away things that are beneficial or close to their hearts in order to help those in need.

This sacrifice has nothing to do with Muslims repenting for their sins, as only Allah can forgive sins, as stated in the Quran: “It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Qur’an 22:37).

On the day, boys and fathers go to mosque early in the morning for Eid Salaah (prayers) while women stay at home to prepare delicious treats and beautify themselves and their homes for the festivities.

Tables are laden with samosas, pies and many other delicacies to share with friends, family and all in the neighbourhood.

After mosque, parents take their children to wish everyone in the neighbourhood an Eid Mubarak (Blessed Eid) and little kids are given money from each household. Even though I’m in my twenties, I still get money on Eid from every neighbourhood my younger siblings and I visit.

My uncle usually slaughters two sheep on Eid al Adha, but I’m usually too scared to watch it happen…

Eating puddings and savouries from every household visited, more often than not, leaves Muslims feeling bloated beyond compare before the day is even at its close.

How many of you knew that Prophet Abraham and many other Biblical prophets are in the Holy Quran too? We are far more similar than we are different.

‘Belated’ Eid Mubarak to all my brothers and sisters in Islam!