About Eid-ul-Azha 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Four thousand years ago, the valley of Mecca was a dry and uninhabited place. According to Islamic history, the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was instructed to bring Hajar and their child Ismael to Arabia from the land of Canaan by God's command.As Ibrahim made ready to return to the land of Canaan, Hajar asked him, "Who ordered you to leave us here"? When Ibrahim replied: "Allah"(God), Hajar said, "then Allah will not forget us; you can go". Although Ibrahim had left a large quantity of food and water with Hajar and Ismael, the supplies quickly ran out and within a few days the two were suffering from hunger and dehydration.
According to the story, a desperate Hajar ran up and down between two hills called Safa and Marwa seven times, trying to find water. Finally, she collapsed beside her baby Ismael and prayed to Allah for deliverance. Ismael struck his foot on the ground, causing a spring of water to gush forth from the earth. Other accounts have the angel Jibral (Gabriel) striking the earth and causing the spring to flow. With this secure water supply, they were not only able to provide for their own needs, but were also able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies. When the Prophet Ibrahim returned from Canaan to check on his family, he was amazed to see them running a profitable well.
The Prophet Ibrahim was told by God to build a shrine dedicated to him adjacent to Hajar's well (the Zamzam Well). Ibrahim and Ismaelconstructed a small stone structure–-the Kaaba--which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in Allah. As the years passed, Ismael was blessed with Prophethood and gave the nomads of the desert his message of surrender to Allah. After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving city and a major center for trade, thanks to its reliable water source, the well of Zamzam.
One of the main trials of Prophet Ibrahim's life was to face the command of Allah to devote his dearest possession, his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allah's's will. During this preparation, when Satan tempted Prophet Ibrahim and his family, Hajar and Ismael drove Satan away by throwing pebbles at him. To remember this rejection of Satan, stones are thrown during Hajj.
At the time of sacrifice, Ibrahim discovered a sheep died instead of Ismail, whom he hacked through neck. When Ibrahim was fully prepared to complete the sacrifice, Allah revealed to him that his "sacrifice" had already been fulfilled. Ibrahim had shown that his love for his Lord superseded all others: that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God. Muslims commemorate this superior act of sacrifice during Eid al-Adha.
[]The Hijrah
No longer safe in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad, in the year 628 traveled to Medina (lit. the city) with 1400 of his followers. This is considered as the first 'pilgrimage' in Islam, seeking to re-establish the religious traditions of the Prophet Ibrahim, as he believed they were originally practiced. [4]
[]The Takbir and other Rituals
The Takbir is recited from the dawn of the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah to the thirteenth of it. The Takbir consists of:
Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر laa ilaaha illAllaah لا إله إلا الله Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar الله أكبر الله أكبر wa li-illaahil-hamd ولله الحمد
- Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,
- There is no deity but Allah
- Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest
- and to Allah goes all praise
Variation
Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar الله أكبر الله أكبر laa ilaaha illAllaah لا إله إلا الله wAllaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar والله أكبر الله أكبر wa li-illaahil-hamd ولله الحمد alhamdulillaah `alaa maa hadaanaa, wa lahul-shukru `ala maa awlaanaa الحمدلله على ما هدانا و له الشكر على ما اولانا
- Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,
- There is no deity but Allah
- and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest
- and to Allah goes all praise, (We) sing the praises of Allah because He has shown us the Right Path. (We) gratefully thank Him because He takes care of us and looks after our interests.[5]
Variation:
Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر laa ilaaha illAllaah لا إله إلا الله Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar الله أكبر الله أكبر wa li-illaahil-hamd ولله الحمد Allaahu akbar kabeera wal hamdu lillahi katheera wa sobhana allahi bokratan wa aseela الله أكبر كبيرا والحمد لله كثيرا وسبحان الله بكرة وأصيلا laa ilaaha illAllaah لا إله إلا الله Wahdah sadaqa wa'dah wa nasara abdah wa a'aza jondahu wa hazama al-ahzaba wahdah وحده صدق وعده ونصر عبده وأعز جنده وهزم الأحزاب وحده laa ilaaha illAllaah لا إله إلا الله wala na'bodu illa iyah mokhliseen lahu aldeena wa law kariha al kafiroon ولا نعبد إلا إياه مخلصين له الدين ولو كره الكافرون allahomma salli ala sayyidina mohammad wa ala sayyidina mohammad wa ala aal sayyidina mohammad wa ala ashabi sayyidina mohammad wa ala ansari sayyidina mohammad wa ala azwaji sayyidina mohammad wa ala zoriyyati sayyidina mohammadin wa sallim taslimann katheera اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد وعلى آل سيدنا محمد وعلى أصحاب سيدنا محمد وعلى أنصار سيدنا محمد وعلى أزواج سيدنا محمد وعلى ذرية سيدنا محمد وسلم تسليما كثيرا
- Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,
- There is no deity but Allah
- Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest
- and to Allah goes all praise
- Allah is the Greatest, all Praise is due to Him, And Glory to Allah, eventide and in the morning
- There is no god, but Allah the Unique, He has fulfilled His Promise, and made Victorious His worshipper, and made Mighty His soldiers and defeated the confederates
- There is no deity but Allah
- He alone we worship, with sincere and exclusive devotion, even though the infidels hate it
- O Allah, have Mercy on our Prophet Muhammad, and on the family of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the companions of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the helpers of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the wives of our Prophet Muhammad, and on the offspring of our Prophet Muhammad, and Bestow upon them much peace
[]Traditions and practices
Men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer (ṣalātu l-`Īdi) in a large congregation in an open area or mosque. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually sheep, but also camels, cows and goats) as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice. The sacrificed animals, called uḍiyyah (Arabic: أضحية, also known as "al-qurbāni"), have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. Generally, sacrificial animals must be at least one year of age.
The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid al-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished person is left without sacrificial food during these days.
During Eid al-Adha, distributing meat amongst the people, chanting Takbir out loud before the Eid prayer on the first day, and after prayers throughout the four days of Eid are considered essential parts of the festival. (See Takbir in "Traditions and practices" of Eid el-Fitr.) In some countries, families that do not own livestock can make a contribution to a charity that will provide meat to those who are in need.
[]Eid al-Adha in the Gregorian calendar
See also: Islamic calendar
While Eid al-Adha is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. The lunar calendar is approximately eleven days shorter than the solar calendar. Each year, Eid al-Adha (like other Islamic holidays) falls on one of two different Gregorian dates in different parts of the world, due to the fact that the boundary of crescent visibility is different from the International date line.
The following list shows the official dates of Eid al-Adha for Saudi Arabia as announced by the Supreme Judicial Council. Future dates are calculated according to the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia.[6] The three days after the listed date are also part of the festival. The time before the listed date the pilgrims visit the Mount Arafat and descend from it after sunrise of the listed day. Future dates of Eid al-Adha might face correction 10 days before the festivity, in case of deviant lunar sighting in Saudi Arabia for the start of the month Dhul Hijja.
- 1400 (Islamic Calendar): October 17, 1980
- 1401 (Islamic Calendar): October 6, 1981
- 1402 (Islamic Calendar): September 26, 1982
- 1403 (Islamic Calendar): September 15, 1983
- 1404 (Islamic Calendar): September 4, 1984
- 1405 (Islamic Calendar): August 24, 1985
- 1406 (Islamic Calendar): August 14, 1986
- 1407 (Islamic Calendar): August 3, 1987
- 1408 (Islamic Calendar): July 23, 1988
- 1409 (Islamic Calendar): July 12, 1989
- 1410 (Islamic Calendar): July 2, 1990
- 1411 (Islamic Calendar): June 21, 1991
- 1412 (Islamic Calendar): June 10, 1992
- 1413 (Islamic Calendar): May 30, 1993
- 1414 (Islamic Calendar): May 20, 1994
- 1415 (Islamic Calendar): May 9, 1995
- 1416 (Islamic Calendar): April 28, 1996
- 1417 (Islamic Calendar): April 17, 1997
- 1418 (Islamic Calendar): April 7, 1998
- 1419 (Islamic Calendar): March 27, 1999
- 1420 (Islamic Calendar): March 16, 2000
- 1421 (Islamic Calendar): March 5, 2001
- 1422 (Islamic Calendar): February 22, 2002
- 1423 (Islamic Calendar): February 11, 2003
- 1424 (Islamic Calendar): February 1, 2004
- 1425 (Islamic Calendar): January 20, 2005 announced (calculated date: January 21, 2005)
- 1426 (Islamic Calendar): January 10, 2006 announced (calculated date: same)
- 1427 (Islamic Calendar): December 30, 2006 announced (calculated date: December 31, 2006)
- 1428 (Islamic Calendar): December 19, 2007 announced (calculated date: December 20, 2007)
- 1429 (Islamic Calendar): December 8, 2008 announced (calculated date: same)
- 1430 (Islamic Calendar): November 27, 2009 announced (calculated date: same)
- 1431 (Islamic Calendar): November 16, 2010 (calculated)
- 1432 (Islamic Calendar): November 6, 2011 (calculated)
- 1433 (Islamic Calendar): October 26, 2012 (calculated)
- 1434 (Islamic Calendar): October 15, 2013 (calculated)
- 1435 (Islamic Calendar): October 4, 2014 (calculated)
- 1436 (Islamic Calendar): September 23, 2015 (calculated)
- 1437 (Islamic Calendar): September 11, 2016 (calculated)
- 1438 (Islamic Calendar): September 1, 2017 (calculated)
- 1439 (Islamic Calendar): August 21, 2018 (calculated)
- 1440 (Islamic Calendar): August 11, 2019 (calculated)
- 1441 (Islamic Calendar): July 31, 2020 (calculated)
- 1442 (Islamic Calendar): July 23, 2021 (calculated)
