Millions of Muslims across India are celebrating Eid al-Adha, one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar.
Known as the “Feast of Sacrifice”, Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic tale of Prophet Abrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. The belief holds that God stayed his hand, sparing the boy and placing a ram in his place. The day is marked with the sacrifice of an animal, usually a goat, sheep or cow, and the distribution of the meat among neighbours, family members and the poor.
Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the third day of the Hajj pilgrimage and both occasions mark the same religious narrative of the Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice.
