Muslims are using social media to express greetings for the Feast of Sacrifice, or Eid al-Adha, the second largest holiday of the Muslim world after Eid al-Fitr. Some fasted in preparation for today’s mass gathering.
The season commemorates the sacrifice of Prophet Abraham in obedience to a commandment of the Almighty to kill his son. Goat is slaughtered by those who can afford it in symbolic remembrance.
Muslims go to congregational prayers in their cleanest and best attire, and pray.
Announcements are shared online for the open congregational prayers.
Rites at QC circle
The Quezon City Muslim Consultative Council was scheduled to hold on Thursday the Eid al-Adha prayer and khutbah, led by Ustadz Moctar Haron, at Liwasang Aurora, Quezon Memorial Circle.
After the khutbah or sermons, parlor games and other interactive activities were to follow at People’s Hall.
In the city of Marawi, Mindanao State University (MSU) was to host one of the largest gatherings of the faithful with their prayer mats.
Many Muslims have hied off to their provinces and towns for the Eid holidays. Offices like the city government in Marawi have declared a half-day for employees to travel.
Sermons were expected to deal with the value of sacrifice and of the pilgrimage, one of the pillars of Islam.
Some 8,000 Filipino Muslims are on pilgrimage this year.
During the pilgrimage, all pilgrims walk barefoot around the Holy Kaabah in Mecca and are treated equally in the eyes of Allah, as on Judgment Day.
Journey of life
The holy pilgrimage reminds us that just as the hajj is a journey, so is our life on earth.
Political talk is absent as the sun stands still to shelter the thousands converged in open-air congregations for the Eid al-Adha prayers all over the world.
In their special attire, men and women, some with their children, spread their prayer mats, with the men in front and the women at the back.
Slaughter of the ‘self’
Khurban in the Feast of Sacrifice, which is symbolized by the slaughter of the goat, can mean slaughter of the “self.”
Remembering Abraham, who obeyed the Almighty’s commandment to slay his only son Ismael, slaughtering the bad self was the theme of the sermon on the MSU grandstand.
From Baguio to Jolo, imams spread the cause and meaning of sacrifice.
This season is a reminder of the value of humility and moderation.
After prayers, reunions of families in their homes and villages are observed. Family visits are encouraged and forgiveness of each other is observed.
The Eid al-Adha celebrations can run for three days, or seven days in other countries.
(Editor’s Note: The writer is a former sectoral representative in the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Cotabato City.)