Eid al-Adha
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Eid al-Adha (عيد الأضحى — the Festival of Sacrifice) is the greater of the two Islamic Eids, observed beginning on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah — the month of Hajj and the last month of the Islamic calendar. It marks the culmination of the Hajj season and commemorates one of the most extraordinary tests in prophetic history: Allah's command to Ibrahim ؓ to sacrifice his son Isma'il ؓ. The willingness of both father and son to submit completely to Allah's command, and Allah's substitution of a ram at the moment of sacrifice, is described in the Quran: 'And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice' (Quran 37:107). Eid al-Adha thus celebrates the highest form of submission — islam in its most literal sense — and the divine mercy that accompanies it.
The Udhiyah: The Sacrificial Animal
The central distinctive act of Eid al-Adha is the udhiyah (sacrificial animal, also called qurbani). The legal ruling on its obligation is among the most debated in Islamic jurisprudence: the Hanafi school considers it wajib (obligatory) for every free, sane, adult Muslim who possesses the nisab (minimum threshold of wealth) during the days of sacrifice; the Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools consider it a sunnah mu'akkadah — a strongly emphasized sunnah that is blameworthy to abandon without reason. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever among you intends to offer a sacrifice, let him not cut his hair or nails once Dhul Hijjah has begun until he has sacrificed' (Sahih Muslim 1977), indicating that those intending to sacrifice should enter a state of partial ritual care resembling the pilgrim.
Eligible animals include: sheep or goats (one animal per person or family), cattle or camels (shared among up to seven people). Minimum age requirements: one year for sheep, two years for goats and cattle, five years for camels. The animal must be free from serious defects: blindness, severe lameness, extreme emaciation, or illness. The sacrifice is performed after the Eid prayer on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, or on the 11th or 12th (and according to some scholars, the 13th). The meat is traditionally distributed in three parts: one for the family, one for relatives and neighbors, and one for the poor and needy.
The Eid Prayer and Takbirat al-Tashreeq
Like Eid al-Fitr, the Eid al-Adha prayer consists of two rak'ahs with additional takbirat and is performed in the open air shortly after sunrise. The khutbah follows the prayer. A distinctive feature of the Eid al-Adha period is the takbirat al-tashreeq: after every obligatory prayer from Fajr on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah (according to most scholars) through Asr on the 13th, Muslims recite: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illallah, wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lillahil-hamd. This collective, repeated declaration of Allah's greatness at every prayer throughout the days of Eid fills the community's spiritual atmosphere with remembrance.
The Days of Tashreeq
The 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah are called the Ayyam al-Tashreeq (Days of Drying the Meat — a reference to the early practice of drying sacrificial meat). Fasting on these days is prohibited (Sahih Muslim 1141). The Prophet ﷺ described them as: 'Days of eating, drinking, and remembering Allah' (Sahih Muslim 1141). For pilgrims at Mina, these days involve the ritual throwing of pebbles at the Jamarat and the remembrance of Allah. For the broader Muslim community worldwide, they are days of celebration, family gathering, continued remembrance, and thankfulness for the blessing of the udhiyah and the pilgrims completing their Hajj.
The Deeper Lesson of Ibrahim's Test
The Quran narrates that Isma'il ؓ himself submitted willingly when Ibrahim told him of the dream-command: 'He said: O my father, do what you have been commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the steadfast' (Quran 37:102). This mutual submission — the father prepared to give, the son prepared to be given — is the model the festival commemorates. The lesson is that Allah does not desire our blood or our wealth, but our taqwa: 'Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you' (Quran 22:37). The sacrifice is an outward expression of an inward state — total willingness to give everything in obedience to Allah.