What is Eid-al-Adha, and what is its significance?
‘Eid-al-‘Adha is the celebration of sacrifice, and sacrifice is one feature of the pilgrimage in which Muslims all over the world also participate. It occurs on the 10th day of the month, and it is a day of festivity. On this day, Muslims who have returned from ‘Arafat, or Mount Mercy, after a daylong vigil proceed to slaughter an animal in order to commemorate the preparedness of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son. In Islam, the sacrificing signifies the willingness of the sacrificer to sacrifice all his/her interests and desires in the cause of truth, justice, and goodness. The sacrifice is thus an outward symbol of the sacrificer’s readiness to lay down his or her life for the cause of God.
