Bakri Id or Id-ul-Zuhat is one of the most important festivals of the
Muslims. It is called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian
subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat, or bakr in
Urdu. Joyous festivities and somber rituals mark this event. It is a
three-day festival but the main celebrations are on the first day.
According to the rules laid down for Id by Prophet Muhammad, every
Muslim is expected to take a bath, wear new clothes, apply itr or
perfume, walk to the mosque before eating anything, and recite theTakbir
aloud. After the prayers, which are held in an open space in deference
to the directive of the Quran, he is tore turn home. There are certain
rituals to be followed and accordingly celebrations on the first day
include Do Rakat Namaz, which can be performed any time from sunrise to
just after noon. The prayers during this festival are considered more
rewarding than other daily or weekly offerings. Every Muslim owning
property worth 400 grams of gold or more is expected to sacrifice a
goat, sheep or any other four-legged animal during one of the three days
of the festival. This sacrifice symbolizes devotion to Allah and his
desires. The sacrificed meat is then distributed and partaken of after
the Id prayers mainly among friends, relatives and needy person. Prophet
Muhammad had decreed that the entire community celebrate Id for three
days to facilitate participation.
Prayer meetings and Id milans are part of the festivities. People visit
friends and relatives. Bakri Id is symbolized as a day of sacrifice for
Muslims. It all started with a dream in which Allah directed the
patriarch Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail. Ibrahim's allegiance to
the word of Allah and his son's faith in his father were on test. The
dream recurred thrice before Ibrahim told Ismail about it. The two went
to a mountain where Ismail tied a cloth round his father's eyes before
offering himself to be sacrificed. But when Ibrahim opened his eyes, he
found his son safe and sound. In his place lay a dead dumba or ram. It
is in honor of this test of faith that Muslims around the world
sacrifice an animal on the occasion of Id-ul-azha to show their faith,
allegiance and sincerity towards Allah. In India, the animal used most
often for sacrifice is the goat, which is why the occasion is spoken of
in Urdu as Bakhr or Bakri-Id. For the millions at Haj in Saudi Arabia,
it is a big day. On the day of Id, the pilgrims reach the grounds of
Mina where they sacrifice an animal each. It was here that Ibrahim is
believed to have sacrificed his son. The pilgrims then shave their
heads. The purpose is to be one with the millions of devotees who
converge to Mecca each year for the Haj.
