Id-ul-Zuha celebrated

SHILLONG, OCT 6: The annual Muslim festival of Id-ul-Zuha was celebrated in Meghalaya including Shillong with great enthusiasm and devotion.

The traditional greeting of “Eid Mubarak” echoed all around, as young and old dressed in their fineries thronged the city mosques in thousands.

Special prayers were held in different Eid Gah’s and mosques of the city attended by thousands of people from the community and prayed for peace and unity in the country and the state.

Also called Bakrid, Id-ul-Zuha is a festival of great rejoice. Special prayers and exchange of greetings and gifts marked the Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid), the festival of sacrifice, celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in India.

The festival is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honour the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his young first-born son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of submission to Allah’s command and his son’s acceptance to being sacrificed, before Allah intervened to provide Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice instead and since then the tradition of sacrificing animals began during the festival.

A portion of the sacrificed meat is also donated to poor and needy people of the society during the celebration, all Muslims converge at the mosques to offer morning prayers. People from different walks of life representing the Muslim community celebrate the festival of generosity.

This festival is also referred to as the festival of sacrifice. Special delicacies are prepared and served among family and friends on the occasion. Special prayers were also held in far flung mosques of the state including, Ladrymbai, Nongpoh, Dawki to mark the occasion.- By Our Reporter