One of the main Muslim holidays is Kurban Bayram, or Eid al-Adha. It begins on the 10th of the month of Zulhijjah and usually lasts four days. On the day the pilgrimage to Mecca ends, it ends.
The roots of the holiday Eid al-Adha (its name in translation means "Sacrifice") goes deep into the past, at the time of the forefather Ibrahim (Abraham) - one of the greatest messengers of the one God. The holiday was established in honor of the famous sacrifice of Abraham, in memory of the obedience of this great prophet, who agreed to sacrifice his own son, and of his successful overcoming of devilish temptations.
… After leaving his homeland, after long wanderings, Ibrahim settled in Palestine. For a long time, the Almighty did not give him the opportunity to know the joy of fatherhood, and only in old age was the prophet endowed with a son. Ibrahim named his son Ismail. Naturally, a child born after so many years of waiting has taken a big place in the heart of a parent. And here, wishing to test the sincerity and humility of Ibrahim, the Creator commanded him to sacrifice his only son. This was the greatest test for a loving father, but love for God and humility before Him are above everything else. Therefore, Ibrahim immediately began to prepare for the sacrifice.
The son of Ibrahim, Ismail, also resignedly and without the slightest hesitation submitted to the will of the Most High. The conversation between father and son, which is an example of absolute obedience to their Lord and a model for believers at all times, is attested by the words of the Almighty in the Quran:
“The father said: 'My son, I have a dream that I offer you to God by sacrificing you. What do you think about it."
And the son said: “Oh, my father! You do what you are told to do. And you will find that I, if it pleases God, will find in myself humility and firmness."
And the very term "Muslim" ("surrendered", "submitted") was first used by Ibrahim, calling himself "surrendered." And the term “Islam” is derived from the word “aslama” (“surrender”, “submit”), that is, to be a Muslim means to be completely obedient to the Creator.
As you know, at the very last moment, God stopped Ibrahim, pointing out a lamb entangled in the bush, and instead of his son, Ibrahim brought a lamb to the slaughter, which formed the basis of the tradition of believers to make sacrifices, marking this great event in the history of Muslims.
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The holiday of Eid al-Adha (Eid al-Adha (Eid al-Adha) provides all Muslims with an exceptional opportunity to show their obedience and confirm their unlimited devotion to Allah. All the thoughts of Muslims these days focus on the idea of sacrifice and self-sacrifice, which is expressed in the ritual of slaughtering a sacrificial animal - a ram, goat, cow or camel.
Having slaughtered a sheep or a lamb, it is imperative to feed the poor and hungry, to arrange a ritual treat for everyone who can take part in it. Animals prepared for slaughter are sometimes marked with paint, necklaces and bells. The reason for the appearance of these magical signs is as follows. According to the Muslim creed, the road to heaven goes through the sirat - a bridge thrown over the hellish abyss. Sirat is thinner than a hair, sharper than a sword, and hotter than a flame. At the entrance to it on the Day of Judgment, there will be crowds of animals sacrificed on the holiday, on which people will be transported to paradise. Therefore, the owner tries to mark his own animal in order to quickly find it at that moment. The animal that is sacrificed must be of a certain age. A camel is at least five years old, a bull or goat is one year old, and a sheep is seven months old. Sacrificial animals must not be flawed.
After the festive morning prayer (prayer) in mosques, they begin to perform the rite of sacrifice. The animal selected for this purpose must have intact teeth. If he has horns, then they should not be damaged. The animal must be a one year old male.
Before the very ceremony, a prayer is performed over him. And during the performance of the ceremony itself, certain rules must be observed:
1. It is impossible to sharpen knives near the sacrificial cattle, therefore they must be sharpened in advance.
2. The eyes of the animal are tied with a handkerchief.
3. Put henna on the head, and lollipop in the mouth.
4. It is necessary to dump the sacrificial animal on the left side next to the fossa, tie two front and one back legs.
5. If there are several sacrificial animals, then the rest should stand aside so as not to see the sacrifice rite.
6. According to custom, the meat of the sacrificial animal is not washed. Instead, it is carefully checked, peeled of adhering hairs and chopped into small pieces. Then it is boiled in water, adding only onion and salt to the broth. Eaten with bread or flat cakes.
7. For three days, the family consumes one third of the meat of the sacrificial ram, treating the neighbors who have come to congratulate them on the holiday. The remaining two-thirds are then given to the poor and lonely, whose income does not allow them to perform the sacrifice.
Many Muslims replace the slaughter of cattle with a contribution to the mosque. In large families, where there is no opportunity to make a sacrifice from everyone, sacrifices are made annually in turn for each family member. Poor people buy a sacrificial animal in a club.
Pious Muslims voluntarily fast for ten days before the onset of the holiday. In some places, already three weeks before Eid al-Adha, it is not customary to arrange celebrations, put on new clothes, and have a haircut. Preparation for the holiday usually begins one week in advance.
On the eve of the holiday, cities in Muslim countries resemble livestock fairs: herds of small and large horned livestock stretch along the street. Up to a million head of livestock are slaughtered in Turkey. In Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf countries, where local animal husbandry is not so developed, thousands of animals, mainly rams and sheep, are brought from Australia and New Zealand.
All people are full on holidays. Meat and donations are given to the poor. This is considered a good deed: the more such sacrifices a Muslim makes, the easier it will be for him after death to go to paradise over the Sirat bridge thrown over the abyss.
The ritual of the holiday begins with the recitation of a special prayer in the mosque. It starts at sunrise and continues until noon. After that, it is customary to go to the cemetery to pray for the dead. On this day, everyone puts on their best clothes, visit each other, give gifts.
Comic competitions are also held. For example, boys, sitting on a log, fight with sacks full of straw. The one who is knocked down hangs upside down: his legs are tied. And by all means there are horse races at the festival.
From the book: "100 Great Holidays". Elena Olegovna Chekulaeva