THE FEAST OF SACRIFICE (EID AL-ADHA) and MUSLIM PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)

1
THE FEAST OF SACRIFICE (EID
AL-ADHA) andMUSLIM PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)
2
The Institute of Interfaith Dialog

• The IID is a non-profit organization whose
  primary goal is to bring together the global
  communities in order to promote compassion,
  cooperation, partnership and community service
  through interfaith dialog and conversation.
• PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES
• Conference on Interfaith Dialog Preventing
  another September 11
• Panel Discussion The Necessity of Interfaith
  Dialog
• Symposium Peaceful Heroes (College Station, San
  Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas)
• Whirling Dervishes of Rumi (College Station,
• San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas)
• Symposium Living Together (Dallas, Houston)
• Iftar Dinner

3
The Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha, Kurban)

• The biggest Muslim Holiday
• 10th-13th of Dhul-Hijjah
• (12th month of Islamic Lunar calendar, 1st-
  4th of February 2004)
• Commemorates Prophet Abrahams (pbuh) obedience
  to Allah (God) by being prepared to sacrifice his
  son Ishmael (pbuh)
• Prophet Abraham proved he would give up the one
  thing he truly loved for Allahs sake so Allah
  gave him a ram to sacrifice instead (3799-111)

4
The Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha, Kurban)

• Muslims relieve that tradition by sacrificing a
  ram (or cow, camel, sheep)
• Muslims give a third of the meat to the poor,
  share a third with their neighbors and keep a
  third for themselves
• Sacrifice is an offering of thanksgiving to the
  God creation of who has been so benevolent to
  mankind
• Sacrifice teaches the well-to-do, to share their
  blessings to eat thereof (the sacrifice) and feed
  the beggar and the suppliant

5
The Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha, Kurban)

• In this feast people go to mosques on the first
  day of the feast and after the prayer everybody
  congratulates each others feast by shaking hands
  and sometimes hugging each other

6
The Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha, Kurban)

• People visit their friends
  and neighbors -----
  and they serves delicious desserts and drinks
• This feast holiday gives opportunity to people to
  go to their home towns and visit their parents
  and relatives
• Sacrifice Feast is a fun for kids, they play
  games with their friends and they congratulates
  elder peoples feast and show their respect to
  them

7
The Story of the Kabah

• Prophet Abraham (pbuh), his wife Hajar and their
  child Ishmael came to Arabia
• Prophet Abraham received the revelation from
  Allah to build a shrine dedicated to Him alone
  (597)

8
The Story of the Kabah

• Abraham and Ishmael obeyed without question and
  constructed a small stone structure (Kabah)
  which has to be gathering place for all who
  wished to strengthen their faith in Allah (2125)
  
• People began to settling around Kabah in the
  valley of Becca and the name later changed to
  Mecca (or Makkah)

9
The Story of the Kabah

• Mecca became a vibrant city due to its water
  source of Zamzam
• (Zamzam the water sprang forth miraculously
  under Ishmael's (PBUH) tiny
  feet)
• People began to develop false ideas and about
  many gods and Kabah was turned into a house to
  store idols and statues which people worshipped
  besides Allah.

10
The Story of the Kabah

• And Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a
  descendant of Prophet Abraham and Ishmael to
  restore the Kabah to the worship of true God.
• Kabah is the center towards which Muslims pray.

11
The Muslim Pilgrimage (Hajj)

• Hajj takes place 8th-13th
  of Dhul-Hijjah
• more than 2 million people gather
• The fifth pillar of Islam is Hajj
• the others are
• declaration of faith
• daily prayers
• offering a regular charity
• fasting during Ramadan)
• It is the journey which every sane, adult Muslim
  must undertake at least once in their lives if
  they can afford it and they are physically able

12
The Muslim Pilgrimage (Hajj)

• Once a year muslims of every ethnic group, color
  social status and culture gather together in
  Mecca and stand before the Kabah
• The people performing Hajj wear simple white
  clothes, simple sandals and spend about a week
  together performing acts of worship.

13
The Muslim Pilgrimage (Hajj)

• Hajj is a congregational prayer
• The Hajj is the yearly gathering whereby Muslims
  affirm their unity and humility before their Lord
  
• During Hajj everyone are treated as equals

14
The Muslim Pilgrimage (Hajj)

• Special supplication (Talbiyah)
• made to Allah during Hajj
• Labbayk,Allahumma Labbayk. Labbayk.La
  shareeka laka. Labbayk.Innal-hamda
  wan-n'imatalaka wal-mulk. La shareeka lak."
• Here I am at Your service.
• O Allah, here I am at Your service.
• There is no partner with You.
• Here I am at Your service.
• All praise and blessings belong to You.
• All dominion is Yours and
• You have no partner.

15

• Thank you