TODAY.AZ / Society

Azerbaijanis celebrate Eid al-Adha

24 September 2015 [09:21] - TODAY.AZ

By Amina Nazarli - AzerNews 

Today, Muslims around the world are celebrating the sacred Eid al-Adha (Gurban Bayram), Islam’s most important religious holiday embodying a love of God, faithfulness, generosity, and spirituality.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev congratulated all Azerbaijani people on the occasion of the sacred Eid al-Adha holiday.

The Gurban Bayram ceremonies further reinforce the sentiment of equality and tolerance in our society, becoming a vivid expression and embodiment of national-spiritual harmony, humanism and brotherhood, kindness and charity, President Aliyev said.

“In the days of the blessed Gurban Bayram, I convey my heartfelt congratulations to you and all of our compatriots living outside the country. I hope that the Almighty will accept your prayers for the prosperity and welfare of our people and state."

In commemorating Gurban Bayram, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade also congratulated all Azerbaijanis on this important holiday.

He said that sharing the joy of the holiday with the needy is a deed that is loved by God.

“The Azerbaijani people, keeping the love of God in their hearts, fulfill all their dreams and desires. May God be merciful and kind to us, and grant us grace, strengthen our spiritual unity, and preserve our country,” he said.

Eid al-Adha means getting closer to God and strengthening Islamic principles like maintaining brotherhood in society, keeping alive the spirit of cooperation and solidarity, and contributing to the realization of social justice. At Eid, it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to be used to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.

Compulsory giving for the needy or poor is a central pillar for Gurban Bayram. Every noble Muslim must sacrifice an animal and gift the meat to the indigent. Here, the primary aim is to become a true believer through charity. The Quran says, "Allah needs neither meat, nor the blood of an animal, but only your faith".

This year, Azerbaijani Muslims will celebrate the Gurban holiday on September 24 and 25. It is celebrated on different days each year due to the peculiarities of the lunar calendar.

An enchanting holiday sermon regarding the holiday will be given on September 24 at 09:00 a.m. at the “Taza Pir” mosque in Baku.

The religious ritual of sacrifice existed long before Islam. New details have emerged showing that the ritual was practiced in the Islamic world after the second year of the Hijrah (the year when Prophet Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina).

Gurban Bayram, which starts on the 10th day of the 12th month in the Islamic lunar Hijri calendar, also means the end date of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca (Haj).

The holiday commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to show his loyalty to God. But as he was set to perform his test to the Almighty, God sent the Angel Gabriel to provide him with a ram to sacrifice in lieu of his son.

A similar story is found in the Jewish Torah and the Christian Old Testament, but in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the story goes that Abraham was set to kill his son Isaac.

Islam takes great caution in the rules pertaining to slaughtering animals. Protecting animals from pain and undue suffering is paramount. The Prophet Muhammad said, "God has ordained kindness [and excellence] in everything. If the killing [of animals] is to be done, do it in the best manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner by first sharpening the knife, and putting the animal at ease."

Only camels, cows, buffalos, sheep, and goats are suitable for sacrifice. A camel or a cow is a sacrifice large enough to feed up to seven people, while a sheep or a goat is only enough for one person.

Sacrifice means that people execute a deed to show their faith in Allah.

One of the most beautiful aspects of Islam is that there is no discrimination in the faith. During the holiday every orphan or pauper from any religion has the right to avail the opportunities of rich, to taste the sacrificial meat, which he himself would not be able to afford otherwise.

The duty of sacrifice is obligatory only for those who can afford it. The needy and impoverished are not obliged to take part in the ritual. Borrowing money to slaughter the sacrificial animal is not condoned in Islam, since the main purpose of this holiday is unity and brotherhood between the rich and the poor.

The meat of a slaughtered animal is to be divided into three pieces: one for the poor, one for the holiday feast prepared for the family, neighbors, and friends, and one for the individual who is sacrificing the animal.

People usually wear their best clothes during the holiday feast. They welcome guests to their homes or visit friends and relatives during the holiday.

Islam discusses the importance and obligation of maintaining close ties with relatives and Gurban is yet another reason to gather together with extended family.

Some Azerbaijanis make donations to charity organizations instead of sacrificing animals. Many people in Azerbaijan take special care to help the poor during the holiday.

During the Gurban Bayram, sacrificial animals will be slaughtered and sold in Baku and its suburbs.

To prevent unfair price-gouging, the Ministry of Agriculture will monitor the points of sale, Spokesman of the Ministry Murtuzali Hajiyev said. “A lot of sacrificial animals have been delivered to Baku for sale, and I believe that this will make it impossible to artificially inflate prices,” he said.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/143931.html

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