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Istanbul – Muslims all around the world are rejoicing at the arrival of Eid al-Adha. This beautiful festival, one of the two most important in the Islamic world, marks the end of Hajj and symbolizes Prophet Abraham’s complete obedience to God. From delicious breakfasts, to joyful family gatherings and generous offering of sacrifice meat to the poor, Eid ul-Adha offers a beautiful solace to the pain-stricken Islamic world.
Waking up to the joyful sounds of the call to prayer in a morning of festival is a unique experience. Upon hearing this voice, believers in Islamic countries, wake up happily and rush to mosques to praise their Lord and show appreciation for His never-ending gifts. After the prayer and a healthy dose of happy chatter and pleasant exchanges following it, worshippers disperse to their homes, with a slight hint of rush to get to that very special, mouth-watering festival-like breakfast as quickly as possible.
It is so because festival breakfasts are very special occasions. One of the two very special breakfasts for Muslims in the entire year, which can be considered a celebration in itself, the tables will be decorated with a mouth-watering selection of cakes, pastries, cookies, a rich offering of cheese, sausages coupled with pancakes, omelettes, different types of salads and many others. Children wearing their special outfits for the day and adults back from the mosques, unite at the breakfast table and enjoy this amazing family time with delight. Following an exuberant meal full of happy laughter, and joyful banters, and most importantly constant praise of God for His blessings, family visits start.
It is usually the norm for the younger members of the family to visit the elder ones, so the families prefer a family reunion in the house of the eldest member of the family. Once everyone greets each other and exchange well wishes, children line up and start respectfully kissing the hands of the elderly. However, most of the time, they can barely contain their excitement in anticipation for the next part of the visit: getting allowances from the elder members of the family for every candy they can get in the store. So they line up and start a playful bargain with the adults. When the little ones are finally satisfied that they got enough for anything they want from the grocery store, this marathon comes to an end.
As afternoon sets in, families start saying goodbye to each other so that they can continue their day with visits to other loved ones. Visiting the sick and helping raise their spirits is especially important on this day and everyone makes sure to do their part.
In the mean time, the animal sacrifice is now completed and a significant portion of the meat is set aside to be given to those in need. The rest is sent to respective families and special Eid al-Adha meals are prepared, especially ‘kavurma’, which can be described as ‘braised meat cubes browned in its own fat’. After a busy day of family and friend visits and donations, the day finally comes to end, ushering in a holiday.
Needless to say, a very important aspect of this festival is that it makes Muslims even more aware of their obligation towards fellow Muslims that face constant oppression in various parts of the world. From Rohingya to Iraq, Afghanistan to Syria, today millions of Muslims face incredible difficulties and those who are privileged live comfortable and safe lives, take this opportunity to raise more awareness of the plight of fellow Muslims. They talk about their problems and encourage each other to be more active in the intellectual struggle against the perils of radicalism and the persecution of Muslims.
We hope that this will be the last Eid al-Adha when Muslims are suffering due to the turmoil and lovelessness in the world. May God give the whole world days of peace and love very soon.
Eid al-Adha Mubarak…
The writer has authored more than 300 books translated in 73 languages on politics, religion and science. He may be followed at @Harun_Yahya and www.harunyahya.com
