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Eid-al-Adha:
The ritual and the rejoicing
Eid-al-Adha or Haj Festival as it is popularly
known, is considered the Festival of the Sacrifice. It is also known
as the Greater Eid, Eid e Qurban and is the second most significant
religious holiday in the Islamic calendar, celebrated with great
spirituality by Muslims all over the world. Haj, the annual
pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the five pillars of Islam and is
hence a once in a lifetime obligation for Muslims who are physically
and financially able. In what is said to be the largest gathering of
any single group in one place and a remarkable spiritual
congregation, more than two million Muslims from every corner of the
globe go to Mecca each year to perform, Haj, the rites of which
include circling the Ka’aba seven times and going seven times
between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as Hajra did during her
search for water. In performing the Haj, a pilgrim follows the order
of ritual that the Prophet Muhammad performed during his last
pilgrimage.
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