During Bakrid, greetings, wishes, sms, photos and images are in great demand.
The end of Hajj is here, and the feast of sacrifice is going to take place on Monday, the 12th of September. Initially, it was supposed to be held on the 11th but the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia announced that the 12th is the correct date. The moon was not visible on the 1st, so the change had to be made.
Western countries like US and Canada along with the European Council of Fatwa and Research follow the date announced by Saudi. Before this announcement, there were concerns among Muslim scholars regarding its date. It coincides with the twin tower attacks, and could easily have been misunderstood by people. This change of date helps avoid that.
Countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, do not rely on declarations from Saudi to observe these festivals. In stead, they sight the moon locally and fix dates.
Eid al-Adha 2016 begins in the evening of Saturday, September 10 and ends in the evening of Sunday, September 11
Dates may vary.
‘Eid ul Adha’ or the Feast of Sacrifice or Greater Eid has pilgrims take the route via Jeddah to Mecca to complete the rituals. During Hajj the pilgrims pray to Allah and repent for any sins that they may have committed, and perform the ritual called ‘stoning of the devil.’ It is performed wearing the ‘Ihram’ (or white clothing).
The preaching by Prophet Mohammed suggest that if these rituals are performed properly, then the pilgrim returns as free from any sin as a newborn.
The festival usually lasts for four days, but Turkey will observe it from the 10th of September to 18th. Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Oman will also observe it for nine days, but from the 9th to the 17th.
As far as India is concerned, the dates may differ in regions, but usually, the Saudi dates are followed.
The festival is testimonial to the merry-loving Islamic community’s tolerance, as the norms dictate that affluent sects do some charity, during this time. The fasting involved is with the sole intention of saving food for the less fortunate. The unfortunate day of 11th September would bear no connection to the attacks on the twin towers.
The expected reactions, especially in New York, may have changed the court’s decision, but that isn’t exactly what needs to be changed. While the US has become more and more accepting of Muslims, certain sects refuse to do the same. These aren’t signs of a progressive country.