Khyber District’s Bara region witnessed divided Eid celebrations once again as nearly 30 percent of the local population observed Eidul Azha on Friday in line with Saudi Arabia.
The rest of the population plans to celebrate the festival tomorrow (on Saturday), as per the official announcement by Pakistan’s central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
According to the report, hundreds of worshippers offered Eid prayers in Bara on Friday. After the prayers, people returned to their homes to fulfil the Sunnat-e-Ibrahimi-the ritual animal sacrifice performed in remembrance of Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim’s (AS) obedience to God.
In the days leading up to Eidul Azha, Muslims prepare by cleaning their homes, buying new clothes, and arranging festive meals.
On the first day of Eid, those who are financially able sacrifice an animal-commonly a goat, cow, sheep, or camel-and distribute a portion of the meat to those in need.
This commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail (AS), an act later replaced by a divine intervention.
The rest of the three-day festival is spent visiting family and friends, exchanging greetings and gifts, and enjoying festive meals together.
This year, Eid al-Adha falls on June 6 in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf countries, as well as Indonesia. Meanwhile, many other countries, including Pakistan and India, will observe it on June 7.
According to the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar year.
The story behind the festival is narrated in the Quran, Surah As-Saffat (verses 99-113), which emphasises deep faith, sacrifice, and submission to the will of Allah.
Globally, there are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims-around 25 percent of the world’s population. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population, with about 230 million, followed by Pakistan with 212 million, India with 200 million, Bangladesh with 150 million, and Nigeria with 100 million Muslims.