Eid al-Adha: Know the truth about the Islamic feast of sacrifice

As Christians who want to share the gospel with Muslims, it is key to understand what is important to Muslims. There are many major Islamic holidays and observances throughout the year. Islamic holidays are great opportunities for you to show that you care about their interests.

Two of the most important celebrations in Islam are religious feasts. In Arabic, the word for feasts is “Eid”, and since Arabic is the “best language” in Islam, all of their holidays have Arabic names. The two different “Eids” or feasts in Islam are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is the Feast of Breaking the Fast at the end of Ramadan.

Eid al-Adha is the Feast of the Sacrifice, celebrated in the last calendar month of the lunar Islamic calendar. (Yes, Islam uses a lunar calendar called the Hijri calendar!) This feast is considered more important than Eid al-Fitr, because it commemorates a core event in the Quran.

What is the story of Eid al-Adha?

Eid Al-Adha is in honor of the Quranic story where Ibrahim (Abraham) almost sacrificed his son to Allah. To Christians, this sounds very similar to Genesis 22, where Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac as a test of his faith.

Muslims believe Ibrahim was going to sacrifice his other son, Ishmael. In fact, many Muslims are led to believe Muhammad is a descendant of Ishmael, and the Quran calls him a prophet of Allah, alongside Ibrahim and Isaac. You can read more about that here.

Isaac or Ishmael? The true history of Eid al-Adha

Almost all Muslims believe that Abraham was ordered to sacrifice Ishmael. They fervently defend this claim, though the Quran does not mention the name of Ishmael during that incident in Surah 37:101-107. 

Later in that chapter, verse 112 mentions that Abraham was given good news of Isaac’s birth and that he too will be blessed. Because the sacrifice story is written first, Muslims assume that it was Ishmael and not Isaac. However, the Quran is not written in chronological order.

How do Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha?

So now we know why Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, but what does this holiday look like for your Muslim friend?

This feast falls on the 10th day of the last month, Dhu al-Hijjah, in the Islamic hijri calendar. This is the month in which millions of Muslims make their mandatory pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, called the hajj.

Eid al-Adha is celebrated both by pilgrims to Mecca and those who are not completing the hajj that specific year. The celebrations do look slightly different depending on where they are!

The Process of Eid al-Adha on Hajj

Pilgrims spend the previous three days of the hajj going through specific purification rites and rituals. The feast of Eid al-Adha officially begins for them after they offer a sacrifice.

If Muslims have the financial means, they sacrifice an animal near the place where they believe Allah provided a replacement for Ishmael – or they pay for someone to sacrifice the animal in their name.

Eid al-Adha for Muslims who are not on Hajj

Muslims who are not on the hajj pilgrimage still celebrate the feast. There is a special Eid sermon given at their local mosque, and afterward, many devout families host feasts and celebrations at their homes. They still offer sacrifices, which we’ll explain in much more detail in the next section.

The practice of offering a sacrifice on Eid al-Adha

The most important part of celebrating Eid al-Adha is the sacrifice, called Qurbani or Udhiyah. If they are not on hajj and offering their sacrifice near Mecca, many Muslims sacrifice animals in their own backyards or on the street where they live. There is also the option to pay someone to do it for them.

In the Hadith, Muhammad set a standard for Muslims to divide the sacrifice into thirds: a third for the poor, a third for their relatives and friends, and a third for themselves.

“We go along with the hadith of ‘Abd-Allah (ibn ‘Abbas – may Allah be pleased with them both): ‘He should eat one third himself, feed one third to whomever he wants, and give one third in charity.’” (Al-Mughni, 8/632)

In the US, it is legal for Muslims to offer animal sacrifice as long as they follow animal cruelty laws. The US Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that animal sacrifice is legal under the First Amendment, but anyone doing it must adhere to local rules about animal treatment.

How can Christians share Jesus with Muslims during Eid al-Adha?

There is common ground to start from when we want to talk to our Muslim friends about this feast, but it's not the fact that it’s loosely based on an account in the Bible. We don’t want to mislead our Muslim friends into thinking we agree with their beliefs about the prophets of Islam.

It is the idea of a sacrifice! Muslims and Christians believe different things about sacrifices and what they accomplish. This feast is a good time to talk about these differences.

Muslims believe that offering their sacrifice is proof of their piety to Allah and submitting to His will over theirs. 

“Neither their meat nor blood reaches Allah. Rather, it is your piety that reaches Him. This is how He has subjected them to you so that you may proclaim the greatness of Allah for what He has guided you to, and give good news to the good-doers.” Surah 22:37

As Christians, we refer to the Bible to learn about sacrifices and their place in our lives today. The Bible makes it very clear that animal sacrifices were used in the Old Testament to cover a person’s sins– the blemish-free animal took the place of the sinner in its death. 

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.“ Leviticus 17:11

Christians also believe that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. The Word became flesh (John 1), and willfully went to the cross, not only to cover the sins of anyone who believes in Him, but also to forgive, and wipe out permanently all past, present, and future sins. 

Jesus said about Himself: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 

This Feast of the Sacrifice opens the door for us to talk about what a sacrifice means– it is not only a sign of devotion, but it is a legitimate payment for our sin. Muslims do not believe there is a specific price for sinning, only that at the end of their lives, they must have their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds.

During Eid al-Adha, or shortly after, when your Muslim friend is done with busy family celebrations, you can talk to them about all this! Ask them questions like this to get a conversation started:

• How was Eid al-Adha like for you? What does sacrificing an animal to Allah mean to you?

• I find it interesting that the Bible and the Quran have different meanings behind animal sacrifices. Have you heard what the Bible says about it?

• Would you like to hear about the Great Sacrifice which the Quran mentions in the story of Prophet Abraham in Surah 37:112? 

Prayer for sharing Jesus’ sacrifice with a Muslim friend

Dear Lord, thank you for Jesus, who willingly went to the cross and offered Himself as a sacrifice in my place. Please open up my Muslim friend’s heart to receive the truth of what You did for them, and give me your wisdom when I open my mouth to share about You. Amen.