India celebrates Bakra Eid
On Monday, India celebrates the Islamic festival of Bakra Eid or Eid al-Adha. During this time, Muslims are supposed to sacrifice an unblemished goat to Allah. Photo: AP- Keeping up with the online trends, it has even been reported that a few people have even taken to online purchasing sites to sell the goats.
- Muslim believers are reportedly resorting to eco-friendly methods to celebrate the festival this year.
- The word "id" derived from the Arabic "iwd" means "festival" and "zuha" comes from "uzhaiyya" which translates to "sacrifice".
- Muslims around the world believe that Allah (God) commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Ibrahim followed God's orders, but his son was replaced by a sheep at the last moment.
- Goats, sheep and even camels are sacrificed as offering to honour the sacrifice made by the Prophet Ibrahim.
- However, in India the festival is being celebrated on Monday, 6 October.
- In gulf countries, the festival began on the evening of 3 October and ended on Saturday, 4 October.
- On this day, open-air prayer meeting are held and the Muslim believers may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family members, neighbors and the poor.
- Eid al-Adha, also known as Bakra-Eid, falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar. It is celebrated for four days.
- Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, is believed to be the second most important festival in the Islamic calendar, after Eid al-Fitr.
- One third of the animal is offered to the poor, one third given to relations and the rest shared with close family.
On Monday, India celebrates the Islamic festival of Bakra Eid or Eid al-Adha. During this time, Muslims are supposed to sacrifice an unblemished goat to Allah. Photo: AP
India celebrates Bakra Eid
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