PICTURES: Muslims celebrate Feast of Sacrifice

EID | Muslims around the country celebrated Eid Al Adha on Sunday with sharing of meat and other foodstuff taking centre stage. In Isingiro, Eid Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, was bull-ish. This significant feast commemorates the unwavering devotion of Prophet Ibrahim, the Patriarch of Monotheism, who demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his only son, Ismail, peace and blessings be upon them both. Bulls delivered for slaughter at Ruhimbo in Isingiro District donated by Turkish Red Crescent. There are two key Eid’s (Celebration Festivals) in Islam: Eid-ul-Fitr, which signifies the completion of the Holy Month of Ramadan; and Eid-ul-Adha, the greater Eid, which follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, at the time of Qurbani (sacrifice). The animals are lined up for slaughter for the Feast of Sacrifice. Although Eid-ul-Adha has no direct relation to the Hajj Pilgrimage, it is but a day after the completion of Hajj and therefore has significance in time. Muslims put a bull down during slaughter. The day of Eid-ul-Adha falls on the tenth day in the final (twelfth) month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar; Dhu-al-Hijjah. The day that celebrations fall on is dependent on a legitimate sighting of the moon, following the completion of the annual Holy Pilgrimage of Hajj - which is an obligation for all Muslim’s who fit specific criteria, one of the important Five Pillars of Islam. A man waits patiently to do the honours with sharp knives and pangas. The celebration of Eid-ul-Adha is to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to Allah SWT and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail. At the very point of sacrifice, Allah SWT replaced Ismail with a ram, which was to be slaughtered in place of his son. This command from Allah SWT was a test of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness and commitment to obey his Lord’s command, without question. Therefore, Eid-ul-Adha means the festival of sacrifice. Isingiro District Veterinary Officer carrying out meat inspection at Ruhimbo farm. Depending on the country, the celebrations of Eid-ul-Adha can last anywhere between two and four days. The act of Qurbani (sacrifice) is carried out following the Eid Salaah (Eid Prayers), which are performed in congregation at the nearest Mosque on the morning of Eid. The act of Qurbani consists of slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice to mark this occasion in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice for Allah SWT. This is also known as Udhiya. The days of animal sacrifice total three days, from the 10th to the 12th of Dhu-al-Hijjah. The sacrificial animal must be a sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull or a camel; the sheep, lamb or goat consist of one Qurbani share, whereas a bull, cow or camel consist of seven shares per animal. The animal must be in good health and over a certain age in order to be slaughtered, in a “halal” friendly, Islamic way. The Qurbani meat can then divided into three equal portions per share; one-third is for you and your family,...

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