Closing the week 44 – Featuring Varieties of Eid
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On Hajj
Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Middle East – Al Jazeera English
One of the five pillars of Islam, Hajj is a religious duty that must be carried out at least once by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.
This year’s pilgrimage is unique as it is the first to happen since the Arab Spring began last year.
After a day experiencing ever-growing consumerism attached to the Muslim celebration and on the eve of “Eid-mas”, my family already sponsored a meat-drive for British locals and abroad in Pakistan. Yet, I am wondering what it is exactly I was supposed to sacrifice. Got any ideas?
Eid Al-Adha 2011: Dates, Prayers And Customs Explained (PHOTOS)
Muslims observe and prepare for Eid al-Adha in a number of ways. Before the festival, the faithful acquire new clothing and visit with family and friends. At dawn on the day of Eid, Muslims recite the traditional declaration of faith, the Takbir, followed by the pre-sunrise communal prayer, Salat al-Eid, which is also said on Eid al-Fitr. Worshipers then greet friends with the traditional Arabic salutation of Eid Mubarak (“Have a blessed Eid”) and exchange gifts.
In a symbolic act, Muslims who can afford it slaughter a cow, goat, sheep or camel, keeping a portion to feed themselves and distributing the rest to friends, family and the needy. Those who can’t afford it, buy meat from a Halal butcher to distribute. Giving out this meat, in addition to the morning prayers, is considered an essential component of Eid al-Adha.
Muslims wordlwide celebrate beginning of feast of sacrifice – ISLAMIC WORLD – FRANCE 24
Sunday marks the beginning of Eid al-Adha, a three-day Islamic festival in remembrance of Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son. Throngs of Hajj pilgrims in Mecca marked the event with the ritual slaughtering of a sheep.
Big Picture: Eid al-Adha and the Hajj
I’ve long been fascinated by the Hajj, even beyond its meaning to muslims. I think it’s the level of convergence of devotion. Or maybe something more. There’s also something about artifacts and symbols that hold such enourmous power that is fascinating. I think it’s beautiful in a way. I’m also not sure whether it’s just my own perspective on muslim customs that has broadened slightly (bred by a more international network? Internet connectivity? Something else?) of society’s. Either way, it’s fascinating, and the Big Picture does a great job of communicating both the humanity and the scale of the event.
The Many Varieties of Traditional ‘Eid Foods and a Giveaway from Saffron Road
Muslims come from all over the world, though the highest concentration of Muslims reside in Southeast Asia, therefore there isn’t really one particular type of food characteristic of all Muslims. What is characteristic is keeping traditional foods within the boundaries of halal, or permissible foods (no alcohol, pork or other foods deemed impermissible as identified in the Qur’an, the holy book for Muslims).
Because of the migration of Muslims to many other parts of the world, particularly to the West, traditional foods are being fused with the foods and dishes of their new homelands, making for a great combination of healthy world flavors. ‘Eid ul Adha celebration tables all over the world will surely be eye candy for foodies everywhere, insha’allah.
We decided to demonstrate just a few samples of what you might find on the tables of a variety of Muslim households and communities with specific ties to a particular region of the world- it’s truly fascinating!
Hajj and Politics
An Anthropologist in Damascus: Eid in a Druze Village
In the morning we celebrated Eid with the Druze. I mentioned that I thought Eid al-Adha was a Muslim holiday celebrating the end of the Hajj, but the villagers denied any connection and, anyhow, didn’t seem too concerned and made it as much their holiday as any other. The kids woke up early to “make war” in the neighborhood with fireworks and rockets in the streets. Young men walked the village in gangs of ten or so and rode motorcycles up and down the streets. And we experienced how exhausting the Arab custom of visiting can be.
Divine dispatches: a religion roundup | Riazat Butt | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
Divine dispatches: a religion roundup
Saudi Arabia beheadings reprieve and suppression of dissent; Canadian imam beaten in Medina; Hajj pilgrimage app
Muslim pilgrims defy Saudi religious police to visit cave linked to Koran | FaithWorld
As Muslims from all over the world congregate for the annual haj pilgrimage, some are defying the edicts of Saudi Arabia’s strict Wahhabi school of Islam by climbing al-Nour mountain in the hope of attaining spiritual favour.
Muslims start the hajj amid year of Arab uprisings – World – Ohio
Libyans long denied the opportunity to make the hajj usually reserved for Moammar Gadhafi’s cronies were among the millions of Muslims ascending a holy mountain Saturday to begin the annual weeklong pilgrimage.
Why Saudi men prefer to perform Haj alone – Arab News
A quarter of women surveyed on the Internet by a Jeddah social center have said husbands who perform the Haj alone are being selfish. They said the men should take their wives with them.
Syrian troops ‘fire on Eid demonstrators’ – Middle East – Al Jazeera English
Security forces in Syria are said to have killed at least 10 civilians as anti-regime demonstrations were staged across the country on the first day of the Muslim feast marking the end of the Hajj.
Hajj Experiences
When I Went to Makkah – IBlog – Culture & Entertainment – OnIslam.net
I love the chills of remembering the first time I set foot in A- Masjid Al-Haram and my eyes beheld the Kaaba — I was 10 at that time. I thought if the Kaaba were a person, it must have the most attractive yet peaceful aura.
Muslim Woman’s Hajj Diary (Series) – IBlog – Culture & Entertainment – OnIslam.net
Has my time really come? Islam dictates that Muslims must go for Hajj once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do so. Of course, I knew that! But it was in the back of my mind. “I’ll do it someday of course,” I would think to myself. But first, I have to complete my university studies.
Haj: a sense of belonging| News24
All artificial walls and borders are broken. To quote Malcolm X: “Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and
overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colours and races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad and all the other Prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colours. I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug – while praying to the same God – with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana”.
Sounds & Images of Hajj
Eid al-Adha and the Hajj, 2009 – The Big Picture – Boston.com
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6mDdfFnna0]Some 2.5 million Muslim faithful from all over the world descended on Mecca this year, many encountering an unusual occurance: heavy flooding due to recent torrential rains. Collected below are photographs from this year’s Hajj and observance of Eid al-Adha. (38 photos total)
Muslim Singers Celebrate Hajj and `Eid – Music – Culture & Entertainment – OnIslam.net
Listen
Misc.
The Decline of Jihadist Activity in the United Kingdom | Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
This article identifies three reasons why there has been a reduction in jihadist activity in the United Kingdom. First, there has been a decline in jihadist as well as Islamist “gateway” organizations in the United Kingdom. Second, British Muslim communities are less receptive to Islamist and jihadist arguments. Third, the British government’s counterterrorism capabilities have improved.
New Statesman – “You should have your tongue ripped out”: the reality of sexist abuse online
Female bloggers speak out about misogynist comments, rape threats and death threats.
Ground: Zero « The Immanent Frame
Paul Kahn’s brilliant and timely text must be welcomed for many reasons; in particular, for the way it re-introduces in the field of constitutional law and legal theory the debate on sovereignty and political theology that has been unfolding over the last decade in the humanities. The attention to the sacred with respect to the question of law is appreciated, as is the emphasis on “state violence,” which for Kahn also necessarily requires a theologico-political perspective.
Where did religion come from? « The Immanent Frame
So let me just list some of my theoretical frameworks and address them as thoroughly as I can here.
Is there a global ethic? « The Immanent Frame
It seemed particularly apt, then, that Gordon Brown highlighted the challenges of climate change, economic inequality, and financial instability when he argued, Monday morning at NYU, for a new global “sentiment,” or ethic, to confront these three problems, which he termed the emerging crises of the age of globalization. These problems, he said, are shared, common, problems that, when they affect one part of the globe, also affect the whole. Since their scope is global, so too must be their solution. Is there anything, Brown asked, stronger than a protectionist or nationalist sentiment that can guide our interconnected future? Is there a global sentiment? And if so, what role might religion have in forming that sentiment? The former British prime minister’s comments served to introduce Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth and the keynote speaker of the third installment in a series of lectures sponsored by the NYU Dialogues on the Global Civil Society.
Dutch
Maghreb Magazine » Eid Moubarak
De redactie en andere medewerkers van Maghreb.NL en MaghrebMagazine.NL wensen alle lezers en overige moslims in Nederland: Eid Moubarak! Een mooi en gezellig offerfeest toegewenst.
Eid Moebarak! Gefeliciteerd met het Offerfeest! « Aagje Doeken
Eid Moebarak! Gefeliciteerd met het Offerfeest!
Wie mooi wil zijn… « Lous Life
`Mensen zijn hier echt druk
met de voorbereidingen voor de feestdagen´, vertelde één van mijn lokale vriendinnen mij gisteren. Ze heeft jaren in Dar es Salaam gewoond en daar wordt Eid-al-Hadj, de viering van de pelgrimstocht door Moslims naar Mekka, veel minder uitgebreid gevierd dan op Zanzibar. Hier zijn mensen dagen of soms zelfs weken bezig met het uitzoeken van de juiste outfits, eten bereiden en er goed uitzien. Mijn gastmoeder klaagde dat het zo lastig was een kapper voor haar zonen te vinden en haar zus legde haar kledingrooster uit: als ze een jurk aanheeft, wast ze de andere, zodat ze niet vier nieuwe jurken hoeft te kopen.
Het Offerfeest voor dummies | Wijblijvenhier.nl
Trek je mooiste kleren maar uit de kast, koop je broertje om met wat centjes, geef je moeder een schort en je vader een scherp mes. Vandaag is het Offerfeest! Wat is dit voor een feest en waarom wordt het gevierd? In deze editie van ‘Islam voor dummies’ verlicht een korte en krachtige samenvatting.
Gezegend Offerfeest gewenst! : Nieuwemoskee
De redactie van Nieuwemoskee wenst alle bezoekers van de site een diervriendelijk en gezegend Offerfeest toe met oerhollandse moslimgezelligheid!
Dank je wel!