eid al-adha

Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى‎ ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥá, IPA: [ʕiːd al ʔadˁˈħaː], "festival of sacrifice"), also called Id-ul-Zuha, Feast of the Sacrifice, the Major Festival and the Greater Eid, is an important 3-day religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honor the willingness of ʾIbrāhīm (Abraham)to sacrifice his son Ismā'īl (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid holidays/festivals celebrated by Sunni and Shia Muslims. The basis for the Eid al-Adha comes from the 196th verse of sura 2 (Al-Baqara) of the Quran.The word "Eid" appears in Sura al-Mai'da of the Qur'an, meaning 'solemn festival'. The days of Eid al Adha are the 10th of Dhul Hijjah up to the 12th of Dhul Hijjah of the Islamic calendar, constituting 3 days and 2 nights. In the international Gregorian calendar the dates vary, falling approximately eleven days earlier each year.

Eid sacrifice may take place until sunset on the 13th Day . The days of Eid have been singled out in the Hadith as "days of remembrance". The days of Tashriq are from the Fajr of the 9th of Dhul Hijjah upto the Asr of the 13th of Dhul Hijjah (5 days and 4 nights). This equals 23 prayers: 5 on the 9th-12th which equal 20 and 3 on the 13th. This includes the Friday congregational prayer if it falls within these days. There is no harm in saying it after the Eid al-Adha prayer. Like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a Sunnah prayer of two Raka'ah (units) followed by a sermon (khuṭbah). Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th, 11th and 12th day of the twelfth and last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descent from Mount Arafat. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months & 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan, i.e. Eid-ul-Fitr. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.