“We praise our Lord, who lets us observe another Eid al-Adha. We pray to Allah that these sacred days will lead to auspicious results for the Islamic world and the entire humanity,” said Adnan Akgönül, the head of the Prophet’s Lovers Foundation.

“Our Almighty Lord has given the joy of Eid days as a gift and reward to His servants. The days of Eid al Adha are beautiful days when supreme emotions run high and feelings of love and respect are revived as much as possible among the Believers.”

 “We congratulate all Muslims on the occasion of Eid al-Adha and pray to Allah that it will lead to the salvation of the Ummah of Islam, the unity and solidarity of the Islamic world, and the end of the ongoing pandemic for all humanity,” Akgönül concluded.

Eid al-Adha, Arabic for Festival of the Sacrifice, is the latter of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honors the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah's command. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, Allah provided a lamb to sacrifice instead.

In commemoration of this intervention, animals are sacrificed ritually. One-third of their meat is consumed by the family offering the sacrifice, while the rest is distributed to the poor and needy. Sweets and gifts are given, and extended family is typically visited and welcomed.

In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, and lasts for four days. In the Gregorian calendar, the dates vary from year to year, shifting approximately 11 days earlier each year. (ILKHA)