Eid al-Adha prayers were also held in other cities across the country including the h oly cities of Mashhad and Qom.
The occasion falls on the 10th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah on the lunar calendar every year.
Eid al-Adha is celebrated worldwide by the Muslim community to commemorate the total submission of Prophet Abraham to God’s will for sacrificing his son, Ismail.
It is one of the two great events of Muslims all around the world in which they ritually sacrifice lambs, adhering to the Quranic narrative according to which God provided a lamb for Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son Ismail when he proved that he would obey God’s command to sacrifice his son.
Hence, the festival is marked by collective prayers and meat donations, particularly to needy people.
Eid al-Adha is the final rite among Hajj rituals in which pilgrims sacrifice lambs, camels or cows. During the Hajj season, Muslims from around the world gather in the sacred land of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, which is the birthplace of Islam, to practice Hajj rituals.
On Eid’s occasion, camels, sheep and other livestock are slaughtered and the meat is distributed in equal portions among the poor, family and friends as gifts. This is a sacrifice to show gratefulness for the blessings given by Allah. Anyone who is present in the slaughterings is required to donate to charity centers to hand those in need.
In Iran, families and friends also visit each other asking for forgiveness if they did something wrong to one another. Eid al-Adha is an opportunity for benefaction and charity, even if you are not planning a Hajj pilgrimage.
Going on Hajj pilgrimage
The Eid marks the highpoint of the Hajj pilgrimage event when the pilgrims carry out the final rituals of the event in Mecca. Going on Hajj is the last of five fundamentals of Islam, a Muslim must do during their life at least once. Every year, over two million Muslims go on Hajj, making the holy trip to Mecca.
Without any distinction as to race, gender, language, or nationality, Muslims from various world countries walk around the Holy Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam, counterclockwise, shoulder to shoulder, as a sign of faith in Allah.