Eid el-Adha - Study and Dialogue Encounter on 18th December 2007:

Eid el-Adha (Holiday of the Sacrifice)

The encounter took place on December 18th on the theme of Eid el-Adha (The Holiday of the Sacrifice) and the great pilgrimage to Mecca – The Hajj. Zainab explained the stages of the Hajj – the seven rotations around the black stone built by Abraham – The Kaaba, the going to the place called Mina and sleeping over there on the 8th day of the last month of the Muslim year, and the going on the next day of the pilgrims up to Mount Arafat (where Adam and Eve met when God lowered them from heaven). All day they stand on the mount and pray to God and they listen to one sermon. Nearly all Muslims fast on that day, except for the pilgrims who are forbidden to fast. In the evening they go down to a place called Mazdalfa where they stay till the morning prayer of the next day. Then they throw stones at three places called the big-medium-small Aqba. Finally they slaughter the sheep, wear their own clothes, celebrate for three days and go back home.

Then we spoke about Eid al Adha, the great Holiday of the Muslims, in which God asked Abraham to slaughter his sons. Abraham agreed but when he came to actually perform it – God sent to him a sheep to be the sacrifice instead of Abraham's sons. Consequently the obligation on every Muslim who can afford it to buy a sheep, slaughter it and give a third to the poor, a third to relatives and the last third for his own hoe and family.

Reported by Fathiey Jaber
Group's Coordinators: Zainab Abu Ta'a & Dov Maimon
 

(Back to Reports)