Eid al-Adha

What it is

Eid al-Adha ("Feast of Sacrifice") commemorates the moment when the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) obeyed God's command to sacrifice his son — and at the last moment, God provided a ram as a substitute. Muslims believe the son was Ishmael (Isma'il); Jewish and Christian tradition holds it was Isaac. The Quran (Chapter 37) narrates the event without naming the son. ManyPaths presents what each tradition teaches; it does not adjudicate which is correct.

This holiday coincides with the completion of the Hajj pilgrimage — the fifth pillar of Islam, which brings nearly three million pilgrims to Mecca each year. The day after Arafat Day (when pilgrims stand on the Plain of Arafat in prayer) is Eid al-Adha. For non-pilgrims worldwide, it is observed simultaneously as a major communal celebration.

What the days look like

The morning begins with the Eid prayer, followed by the qurban (animal sacrifice) — a sheep, goat, cow, or camel, depending on region and means. The meat is divided into three portions: one-third for the family, one-third for relatives and friends, and one-third for people who are poor. This distribution is not optional — the purpose is to ensure that everyone eats meat on this day, regardless of economic standing.

Families wear their best clothing, exchange greetings ("Eid Mubarak"), visit relatives, and feast. In many Muslim-majority countries, it is a national holiday lasting three to four days.

What it means

Eid al-Adha is about total submission — the Arabic word "Islam" itself means submission or surrender. Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, and his son's willingness to be sacrificed, represents the highest form of trust in and obedience to God. The divine intervention — the ram — demonstrates that God does not require human sacrifice; what God requires is the willingness, the surrender of what is most precious.

The mandatory sharing of the sacrifice extends this meaning: submission to God's will includes commitment to the community. The individual's worship is not separate from care for those around them.

Common threads

The Binding of Isaac (Akedat Yitzchak) is one of the most studied passages in Judaism — in the Torah (Genesis 22), God tests Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac. The test is nearly the same story. Jewish theology interprets this as a test of faith and as the moment when God communicates that child sacrifice is forbidden. Both traditions read the same event through different lenses: obedience, testing, and divine provision. Christianity adds a third reading — this story is seen as prefiguring Jesus's death, where God does not spare his son.