It is that special time of the year for the Muslim faithfuls where they demonstrate their obedience to Allah by sacrificing an animal.
Eid al-Adha, which is the Feast of Sacrifice is the most important feast in the Muslim calendar. It celebrates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael in submission to Allah’s command, before he was stopped by Allah.
This holiday is inspired by a story from the Quran that is also known to Christians and Jews.
To mark this years celebration, the Federal Government of Nigeria has declared Monday 17th, and Tuesday 18th June 2024 as public holidays.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Aishetu Gogo Ndayako who disclosed this in a statement said the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.
This festival is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice everything for God.
The same story appears in the Bible and is familiar to Jews and Christians. One key difference is that Muslims believe the son was Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. Eid Al Lahma, which means the ‘meat Eid’
According to the Quran, Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son when a voice from heaven stopped him and allowed him to make something else as a ‘great sacrifice’. In the Old Testament, it is a ram that is sacrificed instead of the son.
In Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and an ancestor of Muhammad.
During the feast of Eid Al Adha, Muslims re-enact Ibrahim’s obedience by sacrificing a cow or ram. The family will eat about a third of the meal a third goes to friends and relatives, and the remaining third is donated to the poor and needy.
However, the giving of charity in the form of money, food or clothes to the homeless or poor is another key tradition of Eid al Adha.
