tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca-fr/topics/ibrahim-42039/articlesIbrahim – La Conversation2021-08-30T21:09:05Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1550232021-08-30T21:09:05Z2021-08-30T21:09:05ZWhat do Muslims believe and do? Understanding the 5 pillars of Islam<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432050/original/file-20211115-19-w8ohj2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C7%2C5238%2C3447&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Muslim women break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/muslimgirls-iftar-for-ramadan-sharing-dates-royalty-free-image/689079176?adppopup=true"> Muslim Girl/ DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>For people who would like to learn more about Islam, The Conversation is publishing <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/understanding-islam-108919">a series of articles</a>, available on our website or as <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/understanding-islam-79">six emails delivered every other day</a>, written by Senior Religion and Ethics Editor Kalpana Jain. Over the past few years she has commissioned dozens of articles on Islam written by academics. These articles draw from that archive and have been checked for accuracy by religion scholars.</em></p>
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<p>When I was growing up in India, my father’s Muslim friends would get me new clothes for Eid al-Fitr, a festival that celebrates the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, just as they would for their own children. Later in the day, loads of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb-SdMvzeLA">sewain</a>, a vermicelli dessert filled with nuts, would be sent to our home. </p>
<p>I learned about many cultural rituals in these interactions, but as someone who is not a Muslim, I did not have a deep theological understanding of the Islamic faith until reading the writings of our scholars as an ethics and religion editor. </p>
<p>Today, we will take you through some of the basic tenets of the Islamic faith. </p>
<p>For Muslims, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/profilesmuhammed.html">Prophet Muhammad</a> is the most revered of all men. He is the last and most authoritative in a line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus and is believed to have received direct revelations from God through the archangel Gabriel. </p>
<p>These revelations form the basis of the Muslim holy text, the Quran. The Quran refers to God as Allah, which is the Arabic word for God.</p>
<p>Muslims belong to many different sects – including some you may have heard of, like Sunni and Shiite – but they all share these same fundamental beliefs.</p>
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<h2>The Islamic faith</h2>
<p>There are five pillars – or basic tenets – of the Islamic faith. These are professing one’s faith; praying five times a day; giving zakat, or donating a certain portion of one’s wealth; fasting during Ramadan; and making a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. </p>
<p>Each of these pillars is an important part of being Muslim. As scholar <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rose-s-aslan-505827">Rose Aslan</a> writes, “<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-richard-dawkins-doesnt-get-about-the-muslim-call-to-prayer-100576">Many Muslims organize their days around the call to prayer and others stop what they are doing during the call and make supplications to God</a>.” </p>
<p>In countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and India, the call to prayer can be heard through loudspeakers mounted on minarets. The sacred text is recited by professionals to evoke piety in their listeners.</p>
<p>Muslims pray in the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Inside mosques, a prayer niche, a recess in the wall, known as the mihrab, indicates the direction of Mecca.</p>
<p>Scholars explain that for many Muslims, the practice of prayer helps them experience God in an intimate way. The <a href="http://www.dar-al-masnavi.org/about_rumi.html">13th-century Persian Sufi poet Rumi</a> spoke of his experience of prayer as a “delight,” that opened the “window” of his soul. </p>
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<span class="caption">The Kaaba (black structure in middle) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, has deep religious meaning to Muslims.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flickr.com/photos/76868981@N04/7046119769/in/album-72157629377343866/">UmmSqueaky/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
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<p>For all Muslims who have the “physical and financial ability” to undertake the journey, the five-day pilgrimage to the Great Mosque of Mecca and the surrounding area is an obligation to be undertaken once in their lives. Inside the Great Mosque of Mecca is a black, cube-shaped structure, the Holy Kaaba.</p>
<p>The Kaaba holds a deep religious significance for Muslims. The Quran tells the story of Ibrahim, who, when commanded by God, agreed to sacrifice his son, Ismail. Scholar <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ken-chitwood-160245">Ken Chitwood</a> explains that Muslims believe the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explaining-the-muslim-pilgrimage-of-hajj-83284">Kaaba holds the black stone upon which Ibrahim was to sacrifice Ismail</a>.</p>
<p>The pilgrimage ends with Eid al-Adha, the “feast of the sacrifice.”</p>
<h2>Fasts and feasts</h2>
<p>If you have heard about or seen your Muslim neighbors fasting, then what they are observing is Ramadan. Muslims believe that the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. </p>
<p>Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and lasts either 29 or 30 days. During Ramadan, Muslims observe a fast from sunrise to sunset each day, so they wake up early to share food before the sun appears and end it in later in the evening.</p>
<p>In the 12-month Gregorian calendar used in much of the world, the timing of Ramadan can vary from year to year. The dates depend on when the new crescent moon is visible. </p>
<p>The fasting, as scholar <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mohammad-hassan-khalil-274989">Mohammad Hassan Khalil</a> explains, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-ramadan-is-called-ramadan-6-questions-answered-77291">is a way for Muslims to be conscious of God</a>. It is also meant to help them understand what it is like to be poor.</p>
<p>The fasting ends with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Muslim communities often organize large feasts for breaking the fast that are known as “Iftaar” (literally, “breakfast”) at which people from all religions are welcomed. I’ve often attended Iftaar feasts in India. </p>
<p>On Eid, Muslims gather in the mosque for prayers, which are followed by celebrations. In many South Asian countries, sewain are distributed around to friends and neighbors. But customs can vary, and Muslims from different countries and cultures <a href="https://theconversation.com/on-eid-2017-a-peek-into-the-lives-of-puerto-rican-muslims-78798">will bring their unique food and traditions</a> to the celebrations of this holy day.</p>
<p><em>This article was reviewed for accuracy by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ken-chitwood-160245">Ken Chitwood</a>, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures & Societies at Freie Universität Berlin. He is also a journalist-fellow at the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture.</em></p>
<p><strong>Fact:</strong> The first Muslim to ever recite the call to prayer was Bilal Ibn Rabah, son of an enslaved Abyssinian woman, in the city of Medina in the seventh century. At the time, early Muslims were <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_25461">debating the best way to audibly announce</a> the time for prayer so people would know when to gather at the mosque. <em>– From an <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-richard-dawkins-doesnt-get-about-the-muslim-call-to-prayer-100576">article</a> written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rose-s-aslan-505827">Rose Aslan</a>, Assistant Professor of Religion, California Lutheran University.</em></p>
<p><strong>Do now:</strong> Listen to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3paZoyU-1aE">these sounds of the call to prayer</a>, and ask yourself how they make you feel. </p>
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<p><strong>In the next issue: <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-understanding-islam-who-is-an-american-muslim-155024">Who is an American Muslim</a>?</strong></p>
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<p><em>You can read all six articles in this <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/understanding-islam-108919">Understanding Islam series on TheConversation.com</a>, or we can deliver them straight to your inbox if you <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/understanding-islam-79">sign up for our email newsletter course</a>.</em></p>
<p></p><hr><p></p>
<h2>Articles from The Conversation in this edition:</h2>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/explaining-the-muslim-pilgrimage-of-hajj-83284">Explaining the Muslim pilgrimage of hajj</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-significance-of-friday-prayers-in-islam-113702">What is the significance of Friday prayers in Islam?</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-ramadan-is-called-ramadan-6-questions-answered-77291">Why Ramadan is Ramadan: 6 questions answered</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/on-eid-2017-a-peek-into-the-lives-of-puerto-rican-muslims-78798">On Eid 2017, a peek into the lives of Puerto Rican Muslims</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Further Reading and Resources:</h2>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.ispu.org/journalists/">Institute of Social Policy and Understanding</a>: ISPU conducts research to help journalists and others better understand the lives of American Muslims.</p></li>
<li><p>“<a href="https://www.sunypress.edu/p-1542-islam.aspx">Islam: An Introduction</a>,” by Annemarie Schimmel: A comprehensive introduction to Islam by an influential Islamic scholar who was a professor at Harvard University from 1967 to 1992.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155023/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Day 2 of our Understanding Islam series. There are five pillars – or basic tenets – of Islamic faith. Each of these pillars is an important part of being Muslim.Kalpana Jain, Senior Religion + Ethics Editor/ Director of the Global Religion Journalism InitiativeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1329432020-03-06T13:01:38Z2020-03-06T13:01:38ZCoronavirus fears put a halt to the Muslim pilgrimage of umrah – but not yet the hajj<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318706/original/file-20200304-66064-18m5nlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C44%2C2986%2C2020&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Umrah pilgrims pray near the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Virus-Outbreak-Travel/a27f0772a875452aa0505e3f78da95df/12/0">AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Due to concerns over the global spread of the coronavirus – especially in nearby Iran – Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel to its holy sites. <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-02-26/saudi-arabia-halts-travel-to-islams-holiest-site-over-virus">Millions of Muslims visit the Saudi kingdom</a> around the year for pilgrimage. </p>
<p>The current travel restrictions <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-coronavirus-umrah-ban-tourism-what-we-know">prevent the entry of both overseas pilgrims and Saudi citizens</a> into the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. This has had a direct impact on the umrah pilgrimage, known as the “lesser pilgrimage,” that can be performed at almost any time of the year. </p>
<p>Whether or not the restrictions will extend to the hajj, which begins around July 28, can be known only after it becomes clear how long the coronavirus outbreak will last.</p>
<p>Both the umrah and hajj are important pilgrimages for Muslims, but they differ in many respects.</p>
<h2>When do Muslims undertake umrah?</h2>
<p>Millions of pilgrims undertake these pilgrimages. In 2019, for example, <a href="https://www.haj.gov.sa/en/News/Details/12324">Mecca welcomed over 7 million international pilgrims</a> for umrah in addition to millions from within the kingdom. The number of hajj pilgrims for the same year was <a href="https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/28">over 2 million</a>.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cQRzNv8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">scholar of global Islam</a>, I listen to stories of people from around the world who performed these pilgrimages.</p>
<p>Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad performed both the umrah and the hajj. Muslims have been following this tradition for the last 1,400 years. The pilgrimages retrace events from the lives of Ibrahim, Hajar, Ismail and Muhammad.</p>
<p>While the hajj is a <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/middle-east-history/hajj-pilgrimage-islam?format=HB&isbn=9781107030510#r1EAFLxwIhcoTB6d.97">once-in-a-lifetime obligation</a>, compulsory for all Muslims according to their finances and physical ability, umrah is voluntary. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.iium.edu.my/deed/hadith/bukhari/026_sbt.html">According to certain hadiths</a>, the recorded traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, both pilgrimages offer the forgiveness of sin.</p>
<h2>Hajj takes many days</h2>
<p>Umrah and hajj also differ in duty and duration. Hajj is longer and far more involved than umrah.</p>
<p>Umrah requires that pilgrims consecrate and cleanse themselves beforehand and circle the <a href="https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/kaaba">Kaaba</a>, a cubic structure draped in black at the center of the Great Mosque of Mecca, seven times in a counterclockwise direction. </p>
<p>In doing so, they join in a long line of pilgrims to Mecca who have circled the Kaaba. Some may also kiss, touch or approach the black stone embedded in the Kaaba as a sign of their respect and devotion. </p>
<p>The Kaaba is central to Muslims because of its role in the history of prophets like Ibrahim and Muhammad and its symbolism of their worship of the one God. Across the world, Muslims pray in its direction.</p>
<p>Afterwards, pilgrims perform prayers and walk about 100 meters <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/middle-east-history/hajj-pilgrimage-islam?format=HB&isbn=9781107030510">between two hills known as Safa and Marwah</a>. This recalls a <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/middle-east-history/hajj-pilgrimage-islam?format=HB&isbn=9781107030510">significant event</a> recorded in the Quran.</p>
<p>After Ismail was born, God instructed Ibrahim to leave his newborn son and his mother, Hajar, out in the desert, and he complied. But when baby Ismail cried out with thirst, Hajar ran between the two hills looking for water, until finally she turned to God for help.</p>
<p>God rewarded Hajar for her patience. He sent his angel Jibreel to reveal a spring, which today is known as the Zamzam well. </p>
<p>Pilgrims go on to drink from the well, marking the moment when God provided water to a thirsty Ismail. </p>
<p>Umrah can be completed in a matter of hours. Hajj, however, takes <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-muslim-hajj-a-spiritual-pilgrimage-with-political-overtones-120807">five to six days</a>. It also includes additional rituals outside of Mecca.</p>
<h2>Past epidemics</h2>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318710/original/file-20200304-66099-tq97d1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318710/original/file-20200304-66099-tq97d1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318710/original/file-20200304-66099-tq97d1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318710/original/file-20200304-66099-tq97d1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318710/original/file-20200304-66099-tq97d1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318710/original/file-20200304-66099-tq97d1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318710/original/file-20200304-66099-tq97d1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Muslim families were stranded at airports after Saudi Arabia halted the entry of pilgrims to holy sites.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Virus-Outbreak-Indonesia/8678a393d3964bffaa8b4707aa91a092/9/0">AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana</a></span>
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<p>This is not the first time diseases have impacted pilgrimages. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(17)30454-1/fulltext">Cholera outbreaks in 1821 and 1865</a> claimed thousands of lives during hajj. In 2012 and 2013, Saudi authorities encouraged the ill and the elderly not to undertake the pilgrimage amid concerns over <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/20/4/13-1708_article">Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS</a>. </p>
<p>While the recent decision halting umrah will disappoint Muslims looking to perform the pilgrimage, they might refer to a hadith that provides guidance <a href="http://www.iupui.edu/%7Emsaiupui/071.sbt.html">about traveling during a time of an epidemic</a>. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”</p>
</blockquote><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132943/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ken Chitwood does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended pilgrimage to its holy sites. Many Muslims travel to these holy sites round the year for a pilgrimage known as Umrah. Here is what it means to their faith.Ken Chitwood, Lecturer, Concordia College New York | Journalist-fellow, USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, Concordia College New YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/809492017-08-29T01:27:01Z2017-08-29T01:27:01ZWhy Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year: 6 questions answered<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183635/original/file-20170828-1612-1wnyyra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C12%2C2029%2C1293&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Muslims saying Eid prayers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/iioc/2143824090/in/photolist-4grEdj-97qcDA-7m6S5M-azpJNa-8UmW5w-4gnAcc-4gnztg-4grBjN-4gnA7i-4grBpG-4grBuW-4grBAW-azsps9-7k8Cpz-4gnxTP-8TRk2k-4gnAke-azpLgZ-4grEns-dnYEaC-8Utw7d-8Uw7He-azsr4y-4grEsu-8Suuxc-dnYy78-dnYySF-dnYyF4-7kcwPJ-8U9xPG-94EVPR-8U6tFD-dnYDbA-dnYENS-dnYxGR-dnYzoK-dnYF1G-8U9xSW-M987uB-gQTHth-gUszJc-LbN59b-M62wcY-M9829B-M1YgT2-LGrXGu-M62uhA-LGrZjC-M62uab-M984jD">IIOC Masjid Omar AlFarouk</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Editor’s note: At sundown on June 28, Muslims all over the world celebrated one of the principal festivals, Eid al-Adha. Earlier in April, Muslims celebrated Eid al-Fitr. Scholar Ken Chitwood explains the two Islamic festivals.</em></p>
<h2>1. What is Eid?</h2>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Oxford_Dictionary_of_Islam.html?id=6VeCWQfVNjkC">Eid literally means a “festival” or “feast” in Arabic</a>. It is celebrated twice a year as Eid al-Adha, (pronounced eed al-Ahd-huh) and Eid al-Fitr. </p>
<h2>2. Why is it celebrated twice a year?</h2>
<p>The two Eids recognize, celebrate and recall two distinct events that are significant to the story of the Islamic faith. </p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Oxford_Dictionary_of_Islam.html?id=6VeCWQfVNjkC">Eid al-Fitr means “the feast of breaking the fast.”</a> The fast, in this instance, is that of <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-ramadan-is-called-ramadan-6-questions-answered-77291">Ramadan</a>, which recalls the revealing of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad. </p>
<p>Eid celebrations can last up to three days. In many countries with large Muslim populations, it is a national holiday. Schools, offices and businesses are closed so family, friends and neighbors can enjoy the celebrations together. Saudi Arabia has announced a <a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-announces-16-day-eid-al-adha-holiday">16-day holiday</a> this year for Eid. In Turkey and in places that were once part of the Ottoman-Turkish empire such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Azerbaijan and the Caucasus, <a href="http://oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1342?_hi=0&_pos=4734">it is also known as the, “Lesser Bayram”</a> (meaning “lesser festival” in Turkish). </p>
<p>The other festival, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Oxford_Dictionary_of_Islam.html?id=6VeCWQfVNjkC">Eid al-Adha, is the “feast of the sacrifice.”</a> It commemorates the end of Hajj, an annual pilgrimage by millions of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is obligatory once in a lifetime, but only for those with means.</p>
<p>Eid al-Adha recalls the story of how God commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith (the story is of Abraham and Isaac in the Hebrew Torah and Christian Old Testament). The story, as narrated in the Quran, describes Satan’s attempt to tempt Ibrahim so he would disobey God’s command. Ibrahim, however, remains unmoved and informs Ismail, who is willing to be sacrificed. </p>
<p>But, just as Ibrahim attempts to kill his son, God intervenes and a ram is sacrificed in place of Ismail. This story has institutionalized the ideal of sacrifice in Islam and continues to be commemorated each year. During Eid al-Adha, Muslims slaughter an animal to remember Ibrahim’s sacrifice and remind themselves of the need to submit to the will of God. Eid al-Adha is <a href="http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e740?_hi=0&_pos=2592">also known as the “Greater Bayram</a>.” </p>
<h2>3. When are they celebrated?</h2>
<p>Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the <a href="https://www.oupjapan.co.jp/en/node/2191">10th day of the 12th and final month in the Islamic calendar.</a></p>
<p>Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ry_aBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT175&lpg=PT175&dq=islam+the+straight+path+eid+esposito&source=bl&ots=OpTvV-P-BD&sig=vO86ofKfVTFj4ZZdz2iCg2-s1P4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR-qaVlbzVAhWHs1QKHW53AiQQ6AEIWTAM#v=onepage&q=islam%20the%20straight%20path%20eid%20esposito&f=false">first day of the 10th month in the Islamic calendar</a>. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/browse/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2">Islamic calendar</a> is a lunar calendar, and dates are calculated based on lunar phases. Due to this, the Islamic calendar year is shorter than the solar Gregorian calendar year by 10 to 12 days. </p>
<p>Thus, Ramadan and Eid “rotate” through the Gregorian calendar and can be celebrated during different seasons in the Southern and Northern hemispheres. In 2017, for example, Eid al-Fitr was celebrated on June 25. In 2018, the date for Eid al-Fitr will be June 15. For Eid al-Adha, the date this year is September 1. In 2018, it will fall on August 21. </p>
<h2>4. What customs are common during the two Eids?</h2>
<p>Eid al-Fitr features two to three days of celebrations that include <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Islam.html?id=L31e4m2GUTwC">special prayers</a>. People greet each other with “Eid Mubarak,” meaning “Blessed Eid.” Gifts are given out to the poor before the morning prayers. In addition, Muslims are encouraged to forgive differences and let go of grudges. There are a multitude of other practices that vary from country to country. </p>
<p>On Eid al-Adha, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Hajj.html?id=EK5MqskDYC0C">pilgrims in Mecca reenact Ibrahim’s rejection</a> of Satan’s temptation. During the pilgrimage, Muslims cast stones at a pillar, which represents Satan. In remembrance of how Ibrahim was given a ram to sacrifice as a substitute for his son, they proceed to sacrifice animals such as goats, cattle, sheep or camels. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A large number of people gathered around a black structure, the Kaaba." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534637/original/file-20230628-15-559n37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, located in the center of the Masjid al-Haram, Saudi Arabia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/muslim-pilgrims-circumambulate-the-kaaba-islams-holiest-news-photo/1161809345?adppopup=true">Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Those unable to go on the pilgrimage <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Islam.html?id=L31e4m2GUTwC">visit mosques and even family gravesites.</a>.</p>
<h2>5. What is the spiritual meaning of sacrifice during Eid al-Adha?</h2>
<p>The sacrifice represents how, like Ibrahim, pilgrims and practicing Muslims worldwide are willing to give up <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=L31e4m2GUTwC&source=gbs_similarbooks">even their most precious possessions</a>. </p>
<p>Charity to the poor is a highly emphasized value in Islam. <a href="http://quranexplorer.com">The Quran says</a>, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“believe in Allah and his messenger, and give charity out of the (substance) that Allah has made you heirs of. For those of you who believe and give charity – for them is a great reward.” (57.7)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, as part of this practice, only around a third of the meat is consumed by the family or group of friends; the rest is given to the poor and needy. </p>
<p>Furthermore, the sacrifice of animals too is carried out <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/introduction-to-islam-9780190467487?cc=us&lang=en&">through specific instructions</a> that minimize their suffering. This is part of the moral obligation of Muslims. </p>
<h2>6. What are some of the modern-day challenges?</h2>
<p>With more than two million arriving in Mecca these days, the pilgrimage presents a <a href="https://tradearabia.com/index.php?/news/MISC_290820.html">logistical challenge</a> for countries providing meat for the sacrifice. Saudi authorities strive to <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/world/flash-freezing-takes-care-of-surplus-meat-from-haj-sacrifice-1.310668">find alternative methods</a> of preserving, distributing and dealing with the vast amount of meat that comes from the animal sacrifices. </p>
<p>In the U.S. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/09/12/eid-al-adha-muslims/90261968/">Muslims consume halal meat</a> – that is, meat that has been prepared by adhering to the rules – but they are not allowed to perform the sacrifice themselves. Food laws require that meat be acquired from certified butchers who follow standard federal and halal rules. However, some Muslims might send money to their friends and relatives in other countries to help fund a sacrifice.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80949/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ken Chitwood does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Muslims throughout the world will celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) beginning this Friday evening. Here’s an introduction to this important feast.Ken Chitwood, Senior Research Fellow, Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at IUPUI and Journalist-fellow, USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern CaliforniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.