Like other religious groups, Muslims have many religious festivals, but the festival of Eid-ul-Adha is one of the most important festivals of the Muslims community. This festival is celebrated every year with great pomp and enthusiasm all over the country as well as the world and Jammu and Kashmir are no different. Muslims, particularly children, are waiting with great excitement and eagerness for this festival to arrive. This Eid is celebrated for three days, also parts of the mutton are distributed among relatives, neighbors and friends and in Kashmir in the good old days parts of the sacrifices done on sheep or goat were also given to the Pandit (Hindu) neighbors
The name of the festival is also referred to as bakar-Eid. On this festival, Muslims wear their best, and children celebrate surrounded by happiness in new clothes. On the day of Eid Muslims perform joint Nimaz in Eid Gahas and Masjids with group greetings between brothers and embracing each other, but subsequently giving children money referred to in Kashmiri language as Eidyana. Hindus participate in greetings and embrace with Muslim brethren in the Eid Gahas. People take the fast process of preparing various kinds of sweets, custard and relish cherished mutton dishes. Eid-ul-Adha by itself had no relationship to the Hajj pilgrimage, however, it does occur the day after the completion of Hajj so it does have temporal relevance. The actual day on which the celebrations will take place is determined by a proper sighting of the moon after the annual Hajj, which is obligatory for those Muslims who qualify and a Pillar of Islam. Thus Eid-ul-Adha translates to the festival of sacrifice. The act of Qurbani/sacrifice is conducted after performing Eid Salaah/Eid prayers, which congregationally takes place at the nearest mosque in the morning on Eid day. The act of Qurbani consists of slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice for the day to remember the sacrifice of the prophet.
Eid-ul-Adha is also a time to connect with friends and family and exchange gifts as well. Eid-ul-Adha (Arabic festival of sacrifice) is also referred to as Id al-Adha or Id al Qurban or al-Id al-Kabir; Eid-ul-Adha is one of the two main festivals of Islam, the other being Eid –ul-Fitr. Eid-ul-Adha marks the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage-rites at Mina, Saudi Arabia, located in the vicinity of Mecca; however Muslims worldwide celebrate the festival. During the festival families who can afford to do so, can symbolically sacrifice an animal (goat, sheep, cow, or camel) and share the meat with friends and the less fortunate.
This festival emphasizes equality and directs Muslims to assist the needy and poor and donate for the poor and thus shows how justice can be achieved with the poor and weak. The festival of great Eid teaches us to assist the poor and needy and contribute towards Zakat and furthers the distribution of the money among the poor and therefore teaches Equality and justice and help to the poor in society. The government grants a two day gazetted holiday on great Eid and this year it was on June 07 and June 08. This festival also teaches the value of sacrifice and being ready to sacrifice for a right cause and remember the prophet Ibrahim. Great Eid is celebrated by the Muslims including the children across the world in big religious fervor and gaiety. In Kashmir the festival of Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated with religious commitment and enthusiasm and the rich to do people celebrate this festival with needy and poor and hence equality and help are the two teachings we learn from this festival.
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