​ ​	Another Eid? Mr A K Amejee, Chairman of Balham Mosque & Tooting Islamic Centre, explains the difference between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

We’ve probably all heard the saying ‘you wait ages for a bus and then two come along at once!’ For many Muslims, this expression holds a different meaning as they prepare for their second major Eid festival less than 10 weeks since the last. Why are there two Eids? What do they represent? What do Muslims do on this day? This article will explore the answers to all these pressing questions and more!

Muslims essentially celebrate two major festivals in the Islamic year: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast each day from before dawn until sunset. The physical and spiritual transformation engendered in Ramadan is a wonderful opportunity for Muslims to inculcate better habits (e.g. give up smoking, eat less junk food, visit the mosque more often, or be more charitable).

Eid al-Adha (or the Festival of Sacrifice) is different insofar as it marks the end of the ultimate spiritual journey - the Hajj (major pilgrimage). This year, Eid al-Adha is expected to fall on Friday 1st September 2017 – however the date is subject to the sighting of the moon (Muslim festivals are based on the lunar calendar – a topic for another article perhaps!).
 

Eid al-Adha is always celebrated in the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul-Hijjah, several days of which are entirely devoted to the rites of Hajj. The spirit of Hajj is sacrifice and this is commemorated on Eid al-Adha by the ritual slaughter of an animal for those who can afford to do so (Eid al-Adha is unsurprisingly the busiest time of the year for halal butchers). Muslims distribute the meat to one’s immediate family, those in need and friends and relatives. Behind the ritual aspect of Hajj however, is the strong spiritual dimension manifest in the story of Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son Ismail (God miraculously replaced Ismail with a ram as Abraham had passed His test). Although there are slight differences between the Muslim version of the story and the Judeo-Christian one (where Abraham is prepared to sacrifice Isaac instead), the parallels and clear and striking. The three great Abrahamic faiths all teach the significance of Abraham’s connection with God and view him as a role model for believers.

The pilgrimage of Hajj goes beyond spirit of sacrifice alone. It reinforces the spirt of unity and humility before God. Malcolm X writing in 1964 on his Hajj journey noted that ‘there were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colours, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and the non-white.”

Whether you are celebrating Eid al-Adha or not this year, the lessons of self-sacrifice, unity and humility in Hajj are universal. Given all the troubles faced around the world, Eid al-Adha presents itself as a wonderful opportunity to reinforce what unifies us in humanity. God’s peace and blessings be upon you all.

Abdul Khaliq Amejee

Chairman, Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre