Bakra-Id or Id-ul-adha
Id-ul-Zuha or Bakra-Id is a festival that is celebrated with traditional fervor and gaiety in India and the world. It is a day to thank the Almighty for one’s good fortune and to share it with the less fortunate people. All Muslims wear new clothes and attend an open-air prayer meeting during Id-ul-Zuha. They may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family members, neighbors and the poor. Many Muslims feel that they have a duty to ensure that all Muslims can enjoy a meat based meal during this holiday.
It is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail at the behest of Allah.Hence, on this day just like Ibrahim, a true follower of Islam is expected to sacrifice something that is dear to him. Muslims around the world believe that Allah (God) commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Ibrahim followed God’s orders, but his son was replaced by a sheep at the last moment. Muslims celebrate this at Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Adha is called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat or “bakr” in Urdu. The word “id” derived from the Arabic “iwd” means “festival” and “zuha” comes from “uzhaiyya” which translates to “sacrifice”. Bakra-Id is celebrated from the tenth to the twelfth day in the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah.
Every year, while pilgrims to the Mount of Mina make animal sacrifices as part of the pilgrimage rituals, Muslims the world over celebrate Bakra-Id in a similar fashion. The goat sacrifices made during Bakra-Id are mainly to provide food to the poor and deprived and to mark the noble act of Ibrahim. This spirit of sacrifice is what truly underlines the spirit of Bakra-Id. The name Bakra-Id is most popular in India. However in Arabic, the feast is usually referred to as Id-ul-Azha or Id-ul-Zuha.