What is Eid-al-Adha? Meaning, story of Ibrahim, and how it's celebrated

Time of India

2 days ago

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Festivals not only help you celebrate your religion and culture but also bring together families in a moment of togetherness and enjoyment. These annual celebrations bring with them an event for which the entire family joins hands and remembers God to thank him for all he has bestowed upon them.
Eid-al-Adha is one such festival that brings together Muslims. In 2025, Eid-al-Adha will be celebrated on the 6th of June 2025.
What is the meaning behind this festival and how is it celebrated? Let's take a closer look.
What is Eid-al-Adha?
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The religion of Islam celebrates two major festivals Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha. While the first is a celebration, rejoicing at the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, the second is observed to honour the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience towards god.
What does Eid-al-Adha mean?
Eid-al-Adha literally means 'Festival of Sacrifice'. It is celebrated on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and last month of the Islamic calendar.
Why is Eid-al-Adha celebrated?
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Eid-al-Adha commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's dedicated devotion to God. As per the Quranic story, Prophet Ibrahim and his wife Hajar had a son Ismail, after years of praying to be blessed with a child.
In a dream, Ibrahim was commanded to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith, despite the long wait for the child's arrival.
Due to his deep devotion and gratefulness to God, Ibrahim did not hesitate and agreed to sacrifice his son.
Impressed by his devotion and readiness to do so, God intervened at the last moment and replaced his son with a ram, symbolising divine mercy and love.
Thus, to honour Ibrahim's devotion towards Allah, Muslims across the globe sacrifice goats, sheep or even camels and distribute the meat among friends, family and those in need.
Eid-al-Adha teaches Muslims to have complete trust in Allah and remain resilient and devoted to him in whatever he tests them with.
The celebration also marks the end of Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and is a duty upon all able-bodied Muslims that they must do at least once in a lifetime.
How is Eid-al-Adha celebrated?
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On the morning of Eid, Muslims attend prayers in the mosque in a congregation called Salat-al-Eid, followed by a sermon called a khutbah. This is followed by the ritual of animal sacrifice and cooking. After the food is ready it is offered to the less fortunate and shared amongst each other as an exchange of love, reflecting the religious values of charity, compassion and community.