Eid Al-Adha, what it means for Quebec Muslims

 
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Note: When reading this text, please don’t forget to add ‘Peace be upon him’, the honorific title that accompanies the names of our prophets, in this case Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ismail.

Introduction

There are two annual religious celebrations for Muslims, Eid  Al-Adha  the most important holiday in Islam hence its name of  Eid-Al-Kebir  'the great festival' in North Africa and  Eid Al-Fitr,  the 'little feast' that marks the end Ramadan, the month of fasting.  

The origin of Eid El-Adha

According to the narration in the Quran, sacred book of Muslims, the prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) sees in a dream that he is slaughtering his son Ishmael (Ismail). From this sequence of images, he deduces that he should sacrifice Ismail as an offering to God (Allah) as proof of obedience. Consequently Abraham, relates this dream to his son who in these exact words replies ‘Father, do as you are commanded’.

Assured by his son’s agreement, Abraham is about to act. However, at the last minute, he receives a divine dispensation, namely, to substitute a ram for his son and to offer this sacrifice instead to the needy.

There is a similar version of this episode in the Old Testament and the Torah, but the son is reported to be Isaac. Sacrificing the elder son of a prominent family was a current practice to gain the gods favours in ancient times. The victims were immortalized with statues, that we can still find today,  left by the Romans in Cartage, Tunisia.

The meaning of Eid El-Adha for Muslims

In Islam, all schools combined, Abraham's narrative in the Quran illustrates his absolute faith in God and at the same time instills values of compassion and  generosity  towards the community.

Hence, Eid Al-Adha is a special time when Muslim, in particular, for the pilgrims during the annual Hajj. In fact, in the Quran, it is Abraham that issues the call for people (al nass) to undertake the Hajj in Mecca,  where he lived with his family at the very location where the Grand Mosque stands. It is therefore not surprising that  Eid-Al-Adha  is an essential event, a  keystone   among the rituals of the pilgrimage.

The Hajj  is one of the five pillars of Islam, enjointed to any Muslim man and woman, able to accomplish it, physically and materially, at least once during their life time.  Last year, the Saudi authorities estimated the number of pilgrims at  2,489,406  from  189 nationalities. Because of COVID-19, only these residents in the kingdom will be allowed to go to Mecca.

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The social side, community sharing

If the spiritual side  is important for practicing Muslims and  especially  pilgrims, everyone enjoys the social festivities..

The first day of Eid Al-Adha begins early in the morning with prayers   in congregation, a moment of connection and exchange with the community, which sadly, will not be possible this year.

However, the   most striking social ritual of Eid Al-Adha  is the offering of a sacrifice. The tradition (Sunnah) consists, for families who can afford it, to sacrifice an animal, usually  a sheep or a ram. Part  of the animal is eaten on the same day and is the essential dish of the  Eid feast, and  another is distributed as alms to the most needy. The rule is that one-third of the animal is given to qualify the almsgiving as acceptable.

For those of us who live in a society of abundance, it is difficult to imagine that in some parts of the world, Eid Al-Adha is the only day of the year when people can eat a meal with a rich source of protein  like meat. Unfortunately, without  looking any further,  with COVID-19, we  now  have international students in Montreal  who have been caught off guard, without resources and unable to return home. It is sad to say that a good meal in the community would be more than appreciated.

Apart, the great gastronomic event with family, neighbours, friends etc, social  media is overflowing with colorful messages and warm wishes;  children receive gifts and new clothes, not to mention visits and phone calls of friendship and courtesy. In short, Muslims live the Eid festival like everyone else.

The economic side

While there are now other options for giving charity and showing solidarity with the community, meat consumption for  Eid Al-Adha  remains the most common traditional way.  It  is  also an interesting business opportunity and a promising market for local livestock  farms.  

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There are more than 250,000 Muslims in Quebec. Assuming if only 5,000 families buy a sheep for $300, we get to $1,500,000 in two days. It is therefore not surprising that  Eid-Al Adha  is known locally as the 'Feast of the Sheep'(la fête du mouton). However, adopting this designation would be comparable to calling Thanksgiving, 'Turkey Day'.

Eid Al-Adha occurs on the tenth day of the month  Zul hijjah of the Islamic lunar calendar (Hijri)   but its date varies in the Gregorian calendar. Islamique. This year Eid El-Adha will begin on July 30, 2020.

The celebrations span a period of four public holidays in Muslim countries. Among the expressions of greetings in Arabic are Eid Mubarak (Blessed Day) or Eid Said (Happy Eid).

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Contributed by Samaa Elibyari who lives in Montreal.

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