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Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha, also known as Hari Raya Aidiladha or the Feast of the Sacrifice, is the day when worldwide Muslims celebrate the occasion when Allah appeared to Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as a sign of devotion. His son, Ishmael was not sacrificed at the end, instead he was stopped by Allah and a lamb was given as the sacrifice. This day celebrates the willingness of Ibrahim to put forward everything, even his son’s life on his devotion to Allah.

Eid al-Adha is a three-day celebration that starts on the 10th day of Zul-Hijja. However, Muslims will wait for the official announcement by the religious bodies in Mecca. On the first morning, Muslims all around the world attend morning prayers at their local mosques. After that, the slaughtering of sacrifices will follow.

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Today, Muslims commemorate the holiday by sacrificing a sheep, cow or goat. The meat from the sacrifice is then distributed to the poor and needy. Islam teaches its followers that Allah has given man the power over animals, therefore allowing Muslims to eat meat. However, His name has to be pronounced as to remind human that life is sacred.

At dawn, in order to commemorate Eid al-Adha, all men and women in good health will congregate at the mosques to offer Eid prayers. Menstruating women do not join the prayer but they will be present to witness the gathering. Mass prayers are conducted across the globe by all those celebrating. In Mecca, a record spectacular count of 2 million Muslims had been witnessed gathering at the Grand Mosque for the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2013. Moscow is another city where a great congregation of Muslims has gathered to pray together.

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Muslims are to acquire new clothing and wear them on this day, and they will visit their family and friends. Muslims may offer gifts to each other and give to the needy. They wish each other “Eid Mubarak” which means “have a blessed Eid” to each other.

Some traditional Eid food includes kebab, haleem and kurma. However, Eid cuisine varies with country. In South Asian countries, rice dishes such as briyani and pulao are prepared for celebration. The traditional food in Morocco is such as msemen, harcha, beghrir and krachel. Some Muslims enjoy feasting on organ meats and turkey.

Eid al-Adha is also celebrated with sweet dishes and cookies. Muslims can prepare them at home or buy them from sweet shops. Dates cooked in milk are one of the common sweets served in the morning before the prayer. In Egypt, Muslims feast on konafa which is made of pasta, syrup and cream. Pakistanis have zarda, which is yellow coloured rice with sugar, raisins, almonds and cardamom seeds. Other sweet dishes include baklava, gulab jamun, and ma’amoul.

In Malaysia, a public holiday is observed for Eid al-Adha but in some parts of the world, Eid al-Adha is celebrated on a grander scale for three days in remembrance of Ibrahim’s total submission to Allah, and also to mark the end of the Hajj.

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Wonderful Malaysia

Hari Raya Haji in Malaysia

Many, especially the non-Muslims, wonder what exactly Hari Raya Haji is, why there are two Hari Rayas and why Hari Raya Haji is important enough to be observed as a public holiday. If you are in the dark or have always wondered but not bothered enough to Google why, read on for a ‘crash course’ on Hari Raya Haji (also known as Hari Raya Aidiladha).

Traditionally, any Muslim who does not have any financial or physical constraints is required to make a trip at least once in their lifetime to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the haj pilgrimage event. After the pilgrimage, the title of ‘haji’ will be given to the men and ‘hajjah’ to the women. The day Hari Raya Haji is celebrated marks the end of the pilgrimage, indicating that Hari Raya Haji is indeed a festival and a day to celebrate those who have visited the holy city and completed their pilgrimage.

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During the Haj period, tens of thousands of Muslims swarm the holy city of Mecca to perform specific rituals, one of which is walking counter-clockwise seven times around the Ka’abah, which is a cube-shaped structure covered with a black cloth that symbolizes the Muslim prayer direction. Devotees also kiss the black stone at the corner of Ka’abah, move back and forth between Al-Safe and Al-Marway, drink from the Zam Zam well, stand at Mount Arafar, throw stones, shave their heads and lastly, sacrifice an animal before concluding the rituals of Hari Raya Haji.

The sacrifice slaughtering doesn’t only take place in Mecca but at almost every mosque in the country. The sacrifice typically takes place at around 11a.m. until noon. The sacrifice of an animal is done to honour Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a sign of respect to the God. The child’s life was spared at the very last moment when God took Ismail’s place and gave.

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Korban (“slaughter”) will only be performed by a male devotee. Usually, cows will be slaughtered but at times, goats are sacrificed as well. Individuals or families who can afford to contribute an animal will purchase one and donate it to the mosque; at times even the state government contributes too. To minimize the suffering of the animal, the slaughtering process is done swiftly. A prayer is made during the sacrifice; it is believed that toxins will be eliminated from the animal upon recital of the prayers. A portion of the meat is kept for the family while the others are distributed to the local community, especially to those in need.

While Hari Raya Aidilfitri is celebrated on a grander scale with new clothes, cookies and delicacies, Hari Raya Haji is a quieter affair celebrated to commemorate the sacrifices made by the prophet.

Below the Hari Raya Haji dates for the next few years:

26 October, 2012
15 October, 2013
05 October, 2014
24 September, 2015
13 September, 2016
2 September, 2017
22 August, 2018
12 August, 2019
31 July, 2020

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