Eid Adha is the Feast of Sacrifice where millions of Muslims across the globe are celebrating Eid al-Adha, the annual festival.
Eid al-Adha, Arabic for “the Feast of Sacrifice,” began on Saturday and end on Wednesday. Eid al-Adha is the second and bigger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It celebrates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham in the Bible) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to God’s command.
Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, God provided him with a lamb that he was supposed to kill in his son’s place because of his obedience to God to sacrifice his own son in the name of God.
In remembrance of this intervention, goats are ritually slaughtered. Part of their meat is consumed by the family which offers the animal, while the rest of the meat is distributed to the poor and the needy. Sweets and gifts are given, and extended family members are typically visited and welcomed. The day is also sometimes called the Greater Eid.
In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days. In the international (Gregorian) calendar, the dates vary from year to year, shifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.
The Arabic word Id means ‘festival’, ‘celebration’, ‘feast day’, or ‘holiday’. According to the recent report, Ibrahim kept having nightmares that he was sacrificing his son Ismail son of Hajar. Ibrahim knew that this was a command from Allah and he told his son, as stated in the Quran “Oh son, I keep dreaming that I am slaughtering you”, Ismail replied, “Father, do what you are ordered to do.” Ibrahim prepared to submit to the will of Allah and prepare to slaughter his son as an act of faith and obedience to God.
During the preparation, Shaytaan tempted Ibrahim and his family by trying to dissuade them from carrying out Allah’s commandment, and Ibrahim drove him away by throwing pebbles at him. In commemoration of their rejection of Satan, stones are thrown at symbolic pillars, symbolizing the place where Satan tried to prevent Ibrahim, during Hajj rites.
Acknowledging that Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice what is dear to him, Allah the Almighty honored both Ibrahim and Ismail. Angel Jibreel called Ibrahim “O’ Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the revelations.” and a lamb from heaven was offered by Angel Jibreel to prophet Ibrahim to slaughter instead of Ismail. Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al Adha to commemorate both the devotion of Ibrahim and the survival of Ismail.
This story is known as the Akedah in Judaism (Binding of Isaac) and originates in the Torah,[19] the first book of Moses (Genesis, Ch. 22). The Quran refers to the Akedah as follows:
Credits to Wikipedia