Many thousands of Muslims in Ohio will celebrate an important Muslim holiday this weekend, Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. It is the second major religious celebration of the year, after Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan.
You can read more about the Islamic holiday here.
When is Eid al-Adha 2024?
This special day is expected to begin at sunset on Saturday, June 15 and will be celebrated by Muslims around the world on June 16.
What is Eid al-Adha?
Eid al-Adha is the second major holiday for Muslims. The Islamic calendar follows the lunar calendar, which helps determine and predict when Islamic months and holidays occur.
Currently it is the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th and last month on the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah.
According to the Quran, Eid al-Adha commemorates the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael for the sake of God, but God stopped him and sent a ram to sacrifice instead.
What do Muslims do on Eid al-Adha?
Similar to Eid al-Fitr, Muslims wake up early in the morning, prepare food and get ready to attend the obligatory Eid prayers at local mosques. It may feel strange for Muslims who have fasted for the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah to eat during the day; it is actually forbidden for Muslims to fast on Eid al-Adha.
On Eid, Muslims will follow the way of Prophet Muhammad, also known as the Sunnah in Islam. The Sunnah is followed every day, not just on Eid.
Sunnahs on Eid include taking a bath or shower in the morning, wearing the best clothes and perfume, taking a different path home from attending the Eid prayer, or saying “Takbeer” (“Takbir”) to praise God on the way to Eid prayer. Muslims will hug their friends and family and greet them with ‘Eid Mubarak’, which means ‘blessed festival’ in Arabic.
Friends and families gather at each other’s homes and eat delicious food together, and children receive money as a gift, known as ‘Eidi’.
Specifically for Eid al-Adha, Muslims are encouraged to participate in Qurbani.
What is Qurbani, the Eid al-Adha sacrifice?
Qurbani, which means sacrifice, is the slaughter of a permitted animal and reflects the sacrifice that Prophet Abraham was willing to make. Goats, cows, sheep, lambs and camels are some of the animals that may be sacrificed.
It is obligatory to give one-third of the meat to the needy. A third goes to friends and family and the last third to yourself. Many Muslims will go to slaughterhouses that practice zabiha (the permitted method in Islam of animal slaughter) for their Qurbani sacrifice, or donate to charities with Qurbani projects that give to those in need.
What is Dhul Hijjah?
The last Islamic month, Dhul Hijjah, began on June 6, 2024 with the sighting of the crescent moon. It takes 29 to 30 days.
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are considered the best days of the year and are a time for Muslims to focus on strengthening their faith, according to Islamic Relief. After Ramadan, these ten days are considered a second chance to repent and obtain blessings during the Islamic calendar.
During Dhul Hijjah, Muslims will take part in the Hajj, a mandatory spiritual journey, at holy sites in Saudi Arabia. The Hajj begins on the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah, lasts five to six days and is expected to take place between June 14 and 19.
Muslims who cannot attend the Hajj are encouraged to fast during the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah, as fasting can bring forgiveness of sins and great rewards. In Hadith, Prophet Muhammad said that fasting during the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah forgives the sins of the previous year and the coming year, according to Islamic Relief.
Unlike Ramadan, fasting during these nine days is not obligatory. However, it is strongly encouraged to fast as it is Sunnah (the way of the Prophet), especially on the ninth day, called Yawm al-Arafah.
Muslims are prohibited from fasting on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah, as Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day.
When is Hajj 2024? More about the spiritual journey for Muslims leading to Eid al-Adha
What is Yawm al-Arafah? When is it?
Yawm al-Arafah, also known as Yawm al-Waqf, literally means ‘Day of Standing’. This translation refers to Muslims participating in the Hajj, which involves standing for extended periods of time and asking for God’s divine mercy.
The ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, Yawm al-Arafah, is expected to begin on the night of June 14, 2024. The Quran says that Yawm al-Arafah means the day that God perfected Islam and approved it as a way of life. Muslims are strongly encouraged to fast and focus on worship on this day.
Yawm al-Arafah is the day before Eid al-Adha. Yawm al-Arafah ends at sunset on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah and marks the beginning of Eid al-Adha.
What is Ramadan? When does it happen? What you need to know about Muslims’ favorite time of year
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When is Eid al-Adha? This weekend, two billion Muslims will celebrate
