This is a celebration at the end of the annual pilgrimage or Haj to Mecca. This happens on the tenth day of the last month of the Muslim calendar. Muslims will plan and save to do this pilgrimage at least once. It is considered one of the 5 pillars of Islam.
On this day many Muslims pray and listen to sermons, wear new clothes, visit family and friends and may symbolically or in reality sacrifice an animal. Part will be for the family and part will be for the poorer people. The sacrifice is in memory of the animal Abraham sacrificed in the place of his son. This festival is also called Pilgrimage Festival or Festival of Sacrifice.
According to Islam tradition, Abraham brought his Egyptian wife Hajra and Ishmael, his only son, from Canaan to Arabia. He left them there with food and water and returned to Canaan. When the supplies were finished, Hajra searched for water without success and then prayed to God who miraculously provided a spring of water, now called the Zamzam Well.
Years later God told Abraham to build a place of worship – now known as the Kaaba, next to the Zamzam Well.
When Ishmael was 13 years old, Abraham commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son. He had prayed many years for this son. He was ready to sacrifice his son, but asked Ishmael what his opinion was. Ishmael was as committed to Allah as his father and was willing to sacrifice his own life. Just before the act of sacrifice, Allah provided Abraham with a ram to use for the sacrifice. They were told by Allah that they both had passed the test of willingness to carry out God’s command.
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