Muslims in Ghana will this morning join Millions of Muslims across the world to mark Eid al-Adha, the second and most important of the Eid holidays, on the Islamic calendar.
Eid al-Adha follows Eid al-Fitr which is marked at the end of Ramadan and occurred in May and June of this year.
In Ghana the celebrations will include prayer, family gatherings and the exchanging of gifts merry making on some principal streets across the country.
Eid al-Adha, also known as The Festival of Sacrifice or ‘Big Eid,’ is considered the holier of the two Eids, and marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage (one of the five pillars of Islam).
The festival remembers the story of Ibrahim’s sacrifice when Allah appeared to him in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son Isma’il as an act of obedience to God.
As Abraham was about to kill his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead.
This demonstrates Abraham’s dedication to surrendering to Allah and Muslims celebrate Eid as a reminder of their own commitment to God.
The exact date of Eid al-Adha changes every year depending on the sighting of the moon, as the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle.
The celebrations begin two days after the start of the Hajj.
This year’s, Eid al-Adha begins August 21 to August 25.
