Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha, a religious holiday that marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The festival, which in Arabic means “the festival of the sacrifice,” commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as an act of obedience to God.
According to Islamic tradition, Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son when God intervened and provided him with a ram to sacrifice instead. To this day, Muslims around the world commemorate this event by sacrificing an animal, usually a sheep, goat, or cow, and distributing the meat to family, friends, and the poor.
Eid al-Adha is one of the two most important holidays in the Islamic calendar, the other being Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. The holiday is a time for Muslims to come together and celebrate their faith, to reflect on the meaning of sacrifice, and to give back to those in need.
In addition to the sacrifice of an animal, Eid al-Adha is also marked by special prayers, feasting, and gift-giving. Muslims typically wear their best clothes and visit family and friends. Children are often given new clothes and toys.
Eid al-Adha is a time for Muslims to come together and celebrate their faith and community. It is a time to reflect on the meaning of sacrifice and to give back to those in need. It is also a time for families and friends to come together and enjoy each other’s company.
Muslims perform the morning prayer in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on the Eid el-Adha holiday. [Mahmud Turkia/AFP]
Thai Muslims gather to pray at a mosque during the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival in the southern province of Narathiwat. [Madaree Tohlala/AFP]
A Rohingya refugee girl living in Malaysia looks on as people slaughter a cow during the Eid al-Adha festival in Kuala Lumpur. [Mohd Rasfan/AFP]
Muslims offer prayers during Eid al-Adha in Surabaya, east Java, Indonesia. [Juni Kriswanto/AFP]
Muslims gather to perform the morning prayer on the first day Eid al-Adha holiday, in Bab al-Hawa near the border with Turkey, in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province. [Aaref Watad/AFP]
Muslims offer Eid al-Adha prayers at the Jama Masjid, in New Delhi, India. [Manish Swarup/AP Photo]
An old Bangladeshi man performs Eid al-Adha prayers at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka. [Monirul Alam/EPA]
Muslim devotees offer Eid al-Adha prayers at Kashmiri Mosque in Kathmandu, Nepal. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
Muslims pray during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Abuja, Nigeria. [Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters]
Muslims are seen after the prayers during the Eid al-Adha celebrations at the newly built Ali Jim’ale Mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia. [Feisal Omar/Reuters]
Afghan people pray on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Kabul. [Ali Khara/Reuters]
An imam gives a sermon for the Eid al-Adha prayer at Al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq. [Khalid Al-Mousily/Reuters]
Filipino Muslims gather outside the Blue Mosque after the morning prayer on Eid al-Adha, in Taguig City, Metro Manila. [Lisa Marie David/Reuters]
Muslims perform Eid al-Adha prayers on roadside during Eid al-Adha in Karachi, Pakistan. [Shahzaib Akber/EPA]
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