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Eid al-Adha’  or “Festival of Sacrifice” or “Greater Eid” is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his sonIshmael (Isma’il) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, whose basis comes from Sura 2 (Al-Baqara) Ayah 196 in theQur’an. Like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a Sunnah prayer of two Raka’ah (units) followed by a sermon (khuṭbah).

The word “Eid” appears in Sura al-Mai’da (“The Table Spread,” Chapter 5) of the Qur’an, meaning ‘solemn festival’.

Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th, 11th and 12th day of the twelfth and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic calendar.  Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months & 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan, i.e. Eid-ul-Fitr. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.