There are two main holy days (or eids) in Islam that are celebrated by all Muslims throughout the Arab world. The first is Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. The other is the greater of the two holy days - Eid al-Adha (pronunciation: /ēd əlˈädhä/) - the subject of today’s post.

 

What is Eid al-Adha?

 

Eid al-Adha is a day that marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. What’s more, it’s also a day that honors Ibrahim’s loyalty to Allah and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.

 

Allah had tested Ibrahim’s devotion to Him by asking him to sacrifice Ismail, his dearest son. Though saddened by the request, Ibrahim did as Allah told him to do. However, after seeing the Prophet’s loyalty to Him, Allah replaced Ismail with a ram at the last moment. Ibrahim slaughtered the ram instead. Thus began Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice.

 

Every Arab country has its own number of days it observes Eid al-Adha. Some have a two-day celebration while others observe it up to four days. Nevertheless, no matter the country, the first day always begins with Eid Salaah (Eid Prayers) at the nearest mosques.

After prayers, the act of qurbani or “slaughter” begins. It is an act that all able-bodied Muslims must carry out to honor of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice for Allah. In fact, it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

 

The animal to be sacrificed must be a sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull or a camel. It must be in good health and of a certain age in order to be slaughtered in a “halal” way. Once it is slaughtered, the meat from the animal is divided up three ways. One-third is for family, another third is for friends, and the final third is for the poor and needy.

 

Traditionally, the rest of the day is spent having fun and feasting with family and friends. Many also wear often wear new clothes during Eid as well.

 

When is Eid al-Adha?

 

 Every year Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah – the 12th month of the Islamic lunar year. However, because Islam uses the 355-day lunar calendar, the date changes every year for those using the standard Gregorian calendar. For example, the last day of Dhu al-Hijjah in 2021 was July 20th on the Gregorian calendar. This means that for Eid Al-Adha 2021, Dubai began to observe Eid al-Adha on July 20, 2021. This year Eid al-Adha in Dubai starts on July 9, 2022. Still, it all depends on legitimate sighting of the moon following the completion of the annual Holy Pilgrimage of Hajj.

 

Eid al-Adha Greetings

So, maybe you’re not Muslim, but you want wish your friends and their families a happy Eid, but how?  Well, here are a few Eid al-Adha wishes you can say:

 

“Wishing you a blessed Eid al-Adha! May Allah accept your sacrifices and grant your prayers.”

 

“Eid Mubarak! Wishing you a joyous and blessed Eid al-Adha with lots of laughter, joy, and good health!”

 

“I pray that Allah showers you with peace and prosperity in this life and in the afterlife. Eid al-Adha Mubarak!”

 

Of course, you can also just simply say, “Eid al-Adha Mubarak, everyone!”

 

Eid al-Adha Mubarak, everyone!

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Want to find out more about Arab culture? Then head over to our website where you find a plethora of posts on Arab holidays, food and the Arabic language.

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