Today is one of the biggest holidays for Muslims. It's called Kurban Bayrami, which could be translated "feast of the sacrifice." Muslims will gather at the mosque for special morning prayers, followed by a smorgasbord of edible delights. On Fiday and Saturday, there will be a barbecue, picnic and activities for children and adults. There are two major festivals on the Islamic calendar. Kurban Bayrami is a celebration marking the end of the Ramadan fast. Eid al-Adha comes at the end of the pilgrimage some Muslims make each year to Mecca. Eid al-Adha honors the willingness of the prophet Abraham to follow God's orders, even to the point of sacrificing his son when God asked him to. According to the Quran (and the Bible), God, in the end, told Abraham to kill a sheep instead of his child.
According to Islamic tradition, he said, Abraham traveled from Palestine to a barren area near Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, with his son Ishmael and Ishmael's mother, Hagar. There the events described in the Quran occurred: Abraham prepared to sacrifice Ishmael, and God told the prophet a sheep could be sacrificed instead. After that, according to tradition, God told Abraham to leave Hagar and Ishmael in the desert and return to Palestine and the prophet obeyed.
Hagar ran about the area, searching for water, and found a well that allowed her and her son to survive. The well is still flowing, Mirza said, and its water is considered to be holy by the pilgrims who visit. At this time of year, Muslims honor Abraham's obedience to God. For pilgrims, the trip to Mecca is a time to reflect on their lives and their relationship with God. When they complete the pilgrimage, they consider themselves to be "born again."
At the end of the trip, pilgrims sacrifice an animal and give much of the meat away to poor people and to their own friends and relatives, he said.
And, in fact, this is the practice for many Muslims each year at this time, even if they aren't participating in the pilgrimage to Mecca. 20/12/07
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