Eid
al-Adha, (Arabic: “Festival of Sacrifice”), the second of two great
Muslim festivals, the other being Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Adha marks the
culmination of the hajj (pilgrimage) rites at Minā, Saudi Arabia, near
Mecca, but is celebrated by Muslims throughout the world. As with Eid
al-Fitr, it is distinguished by the performance of communal prayer
(ṣalāt) at daybreak on its first day. It begins on the 10th of Dhū
al-Ḥijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, and continues for an
additional three days (though the Muslim use of a lunar calendar means
that it may occur during any season of the year). During the festival,
families that can afford to sacrifice a ritually acceptable animal
(sheep, goat, camel, or cow) do so and then divide the flesh equally
among themselves, the poor, and friends and neighbours. Eid al-Adha is
also a time for visiting with friends and family and for exchanging
gifts. In Azerbaijan this day is known as Gurban Bayram where a goat or
camel is sacrificed to God in remembrance of Ibrahim (Abraham).