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Let’s Relive Eid-ul-Zuha With Vignettes From The Past





Let’s Relive Eid-ul-Zuha With Vignettes From The Past

For Muslims across the globe, Eid is a time of happiness and merriment. The very idea of ‘going home’, which is synonymous to native place or village, during the festival is evocative and triggers many emotions in people living in cities for most part of the year. It brings along a myriad of memories associated with the time spent with loved ones and the gastronomical delights that come with the festivities. But with the pandemic playing a spoilsport to all our plans, many of us are already feeling nostalgic for life before the COVID 19 era.

Vignettes from the Past

Unlike Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Zuha is a solemn occasion when all Muslims are reminded of the importance of ‘qurbani’. The willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice the thing most dear to him, his first-born son Ismail, to a command of Allah, is a day of remembrance for all Muslims. This day also marks the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. On this day, people hear of relatives and friends who are on their Hajj. Unfortunately Hajj has been suspended for everyone except the citizens of Saudi Arabia because of the pandemic.

While Eid-ul Fitr celebrates the occasion to partake of the bounty that Allah granted after a month of abstinence and introspection, Eid-ul-Zuha reminds Muslims of the importance of qurbani as well as patience and constancy, the hallmarks of a true believer. On this day, Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience and willingness is commemorated by an act of sacrificing an animal such as a goat or sheep or camel and then distributing the meat among the poor, family and friends.

Eidgah

The day begins with the men going to congregational prayers in an Eidgah, while the women pray at homes. The Eid namaz is followed by a special khutbah (sermon) by the maulvi. This is followed by customary Eid greetings and embracing three times. Then the men usually go to graveyards to offer prayers to the dead and departed ancestors. 

The Sacrifice

Usually purchased a month or two before Eid, the animal to be sacrificed is fed well and taken good care of. On the D-day, the sacrifice is performed as early as possible. Its meat is divided into three equal parts: one for the poor and needy, one for friends and neighbours and a third for one’s own self. While the men and boys laze around, drink tea and go visiting soon after the qurbani, the women’s work begins.

Keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings, ensuring that the butcher has cut the meat as needed, dividing the meat with mathematical precision, wrapping the apportioned pieces in packets for distribution and then taking up the humongous task of cooking the many delicacies that are Eid favourites, it is a long day for women.

Delicacies

The first of the many Eid dishes to tickle one’s palate is always the roasted kaleji, the goat’s liver cooked in a pungent sauce and redolent with robust flavors. What follows is a day of relentless binge eating. Having had one’s fill of whatever has been cooked in one’s immediate family, one embarks on a gastronomic journey to the entire neighborhood that has many known and unknown delights. The biryani, kebabs, paya, akhra and sewaiyan are some of the delicacies one gets to gorge on during the house-hopping adventure.

In view of the deadly second COVID 19 wave, Eid-ul-Zuha, which is expected to fall on July 20, will remain a low-key affair this year as well. There will be no mass prayers and sacrifice of animals will be strictly regulated. 

Author: Aafreen Firdaus

Aafreen is a doting mother to several kitties and a doggo who loves to pamper everyone with delicious food. She is a free spirit and a wizard of words and she loves to tell beautiful stories through her writing. She is also a loving and caring soul, always ready to pitch in with a helping hand and a smile on her face.

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