Eid ul- Adha 2011.

Eid al-Adha- (“feast of sacrifice”) or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Ismail) as an act of obedience to Allah, before Allah intervened to provide Him with a ram to sacrifice instead. The meat is divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors; and the other third is given to the poor and needy.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims, whose basis comes from Surah 2 (Al-Baqara) Ayat 196 in the Al Quraan.. Like Eid ul Fitri, Eid al-Adha begins with a sunat muaakad prayer of two rakaat (units) followed by a sermon (khutbah).

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 day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha celebrations starts after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Plain of Arafah. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months & 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan, i.e. Eid-ul-Fitri. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.

Plain of Arafah.

Malaysians will celebrate Eid al-Adha on 06 November 2011 (Sunday). For those who are performing their Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, they will all move to the Plain of Arafah just after Friday prayer on 04 November 2011. All Muslims who perform the Hajj must assemble at the Plain of Arafah on 05 November 2011 and leave for Mina passing through (mabit) at Mudzalifah just after sunset on 05 November 2011. Presence at the Plain of Arafah is compulsory in the Hajj rituals, failing which the pilgrimage is null and void. The Pilgrims will then camp in Mina for three (3) consecutive days to perform the stoning of the Devils at the three (3) jamrahs. Those who do not wish to camp in Mina may do so but they must came back to Mina for the next consecutive three (3) days to perform the stoning.

Stoning of the Devils.

The tents in Mina.

I was at the Plain of Arafah on 26 March 1999 and on the following day I was in Mina, the day of Eid al-Adha. I was 53 years of age then when I performed the Hajj. For four (4) days and nights I stayed in the tent with only plain plastic sheet as mattress and an empty cushion cover stuffed with spare ihram as pillow. It was the biggest congregation of human beings at one particular place, about three million Pilgrims. It was not comfortable but I got to make do what was available. I came to this place to surrender to Allah. The biggest constraint was the Bathroom and Washroom. The temporary unit was limited and both in one to cater the hundreds of Pilgrims in the Camp. Cool air-blower was installed in the respective tent to deter the desert heat. I went through the four days and it was time to move back to the Holy City of Mecca on the fifth day. Thousands of buses and vans headed for the same directions and we were rather crawling our way back to the Holy City.

I made the biggest mistake upon arrival at my Hotel room. Around midday we reached back to the Hotel and I was delighted to see the posh bathroom and gleefully took a cold shower. Since I did not have a good bath for the past three days, I thoroughly cleansed my body and spent sometimes enjoying the cool flow of water. Out of the bathroom, I chilled and needed several blankets to warm me up. As the air condition unit was central, I was helpless. I was sneezing and immediately had a running nose. It was only the following day I fully recovered from the mishap and able to perform my Hajj tawaf and saie. Up to this very day, anytime I was in Mecca, passing Tower 7 of Hilton Mekah, memories of 1999 Hajj came to my mind. I learned a terrible lesson and from there on I never take a cold shower during the day in Mecca.

Circulating seven times of the Kaabah (tawaf).

One fond memory about my Hajj was when we got chased by the Arabs, alleging that we committed bidaah (wrong doing). On the eve of our journey to the Plain of Arafah, we gathered at the Hilton Surau to read the Yaseen and performing the tahleel. During the midst of our ritual, an Arab gentleman accompanied by few local resident Indonesians equipped with a portable microphone rushed into the Surau demanding us to stop immediately. Since he was speaking in Arabic, a few of us thought that he came in to participate and read the doa. Later I came to understand that he was lecturing us that the Holy Prophet did not do what we did before leaving for the Plain of Arafah. Therefore our ritual was considered as bidaah - something that was contrary to the act of the Holy Prophet. We dispersed quietly to our respective hotel room and laughed about it. The Ustaz who led the pack stayed back to answer and it was aired immediately on the radio about the Hilton Surau incident preventing others from doing the same.

To all my Muslim friends – Happy Eid ul-Adha. To those who have not perform their Hajj, never mind, insert your niat (intention) and Insyaalah (Allah willing), Almighty Allah will grant your intention and He will summon you to the Holy Land.