Eid al-Adha, Islam’s festival of sacrifice -- “Everything comes together in this particular month with the willing sacrifices that we are to make, the distribution of our wealth to help those who are less fortunate... these are the most blessed days. Everything you do is to draw nearer to God.”
The three-day festival marks the end of the hajj, the annual pilgrimage the holy city of Mecca, a journey that all Muslims with the financial and physical means are required to complete during their lifetime.
The festival also commemorates the willingness of the prophet Ibraham to obey God by sacrificing his son. As Ibraham readied to kill the son, Ishmael, God intervened and revealed his sacrifice had been fulfilled.
To honor Ibraham’s actions, Muslims sacrifice an animal, such as a sheep or goat, and distribute the meat among family, friends and the poor.