Today
is the festival of Bakrid. The festival is also known as Eid-ul-Zuha or
Eid-al-Adha which means the Eid (festival) of sacrifice. The festival is
celebrated with great joy and fervour at Hyderabad as of course all over the
world. So, Happy Bakrid! To all my friends celebrating the festival.
And
here is the information about the festival:
Bakrid
is celebrated by the Muslim community on the 10th day of the Muslim month of
Zul-Hijja. On this auspicious day, Muslims are supposed to sacrifice a male goat
or sheep and offer prayers at the mosque. There is an interesting story behind
the celebration of this festival. It marks the spirit of sacrifice. This
festival is in commemoration of Hazrat Ibrahim's great test of obedience to
Allah. Once Hazrat Ibrahim saw a dream in which Allah ordered him to sacrifice
his most precious thing. He kept seeing the dream for many days. Then he
described the dream to his wife that Allah wants him to sacrifice his most
precious thing. After much discussion, Hazrat Ibrahim and his wife decided to
sacrifice their only son, Ismail for the sake of Allah because their son was
most precious for both of them. Then he asked his son for his consent. Ismail
readily agreed to be sacrificed for the sake of Allah. Hazrat Ibrahim was all
set to sacrifice his son at the gallows. As he put the sword at his son's
throat, Hazrat Ismail vanished and he was replaced by a sheep. Then there was a
prophecy that Allah was only testing Hazrat Ibrahim's faith. He need not
sacrifice his son and he could sacrifice a ram or a sheep instead. Hence, the
festival of Bakrid or Eid-al-Adha came to be celebrated. There are a few
guidelines regarding the sacrificed meat in Islam. According to the rules, the
sacrificed meat is to be divided into three parts. The larger part of the meat
is to be shared with all the poor and needy who cannot afford to have meat or a
meal of the day. The two smaller parts are to be shared with friends, relatives
and family. Eid-ul-Zuha is a time of celebration. People offer prayers at the
mosque. The prayers can only be offered when the sun has completely risen.
Women are also encouraged to attend the prayers however it is not compulsory.
The distribution of the sacrificed meat among the poor is the most important
part of the festival. This distribution is done to make sure that no
impoverished person is left without an opportunity to partake the meat. Thus,
Muslims celebrate Bakrid or Eid-al-Adha to mark the spirit of sacrifice. It is
a time of great joy and lavish feasts and celebration of unity and brotherhood.
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