The Eid al-Adha holiday lasts for three or four days.
History of Eid al-Adha
Eid Khait is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice or the Festival of Sacrifice . According to Islamic traditions, Ibrahim, under the influence of a divine order, was ready to sacrifice his son, but at the last moment God saved the lad by replacing him with a ram. This symbolises faithfulness and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of faith.
On this day Muslims traditionally gather with family and friends, organise festive meals and give Eidi – special gifts, mostly to children, as a sign of love and blessing. Gifts are not limited to material things, as the very gesture of caring and attention to loved ones is important.
During this period it is also customary to do good deeds, to help the needy, to make animal sacrifices and distribute parts of meat to the poor.
origin of the holiday
According to the Quran, the archangel Jabrail appeared to Prophet Ibrahim in a dream and conveyed to him Allah’s command to sacrifice his son. The Quran does not name the son, but the tradition almost always refers to the eldest son as Ismail.
In contrast to Islamic lore, Jewish lore features another son of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Jewish Isaac). Ibrahim travelled to the valley of Mina to where Mecca now stands and began preparations.
His son, who knew his role as a sacrifice, did not resist because he was obedient to his father and Allah. However, this proved to be a test from Allah, and when the sacrifice was about to be offered, Allah made it so that the knife could not cut, and Jabrail (Archangel Gabriel) gave Prophet Ibrahim a ram for sacrifice.