What are Id-ul-Adha & Id-ul-Fitr? (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Nature of Id-ul-Adha

What is Id-ul-Adha?

• Id-ul-Adha (Eid-ul-Adha) is one of the two main Muslim festivals, along with Id-ul-Fitr

• Id-ul-Adha is the festival of sacrifice

• Muslims remember the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isma’il when God asked him to

  • Ibrahim had a dream that he had to sacrifice his son Isma’il

  • Isma’il was ready to give his life

  • God called out to Ibrahim as he was about to sacrifice Isma’il and praised them for their faithfulness

  • In this test of faith, Ibrahim and Isma’il showed obedience and devotion to God

  • This story is told in the Qur’an (Surah 37:83-111)

• Muslims remember this level of devotion and celebrate it at Id-ul-Adha, which was started by the Prophet Muhammad and marks the end of Hajj

Activities During Id-ul-Adha

How is Id-ul-Adha Celebrated?

• Muslims remember the sacrifice that Ibrahim and Isma’il were willing to make to God with the sacrifice of an animal such as a sheep 

• The meat produced is shared with the poor

  • In the UK Muslims will often arrange for this to be done using halal methods of preparing the meat

• Muslims will go to the mosque for special prayers and a sermon

• They will wear new clothes and exchange cards and presents

• They will use the greeting ‘Id Mubarak’ which means ‘Have a blessed Id’

• This is an important celebration for bringing families and the Muslim community together

• On an individual level, each person will remember the sacrifice Ibrahim and Isma’il were willing to make and will try to show a similar level of devotion to God in their own lives. They will also remember and be grateful for God’s mercy

Nature of Id-ul-Fitr

What is Id-ul-Fitr?

• Id-ul-Fitr (Eid-ul-Fitr) is the festival that marks the end of Ramadan fasting

• It starts when the first new moon is seen at the end of the lunar month of Ramadan

• It is special because the Prophet Muhammad was the first person to celebrate the festival

• Muslims celebrate the end of their period of fasting (Sawm) with great joy for the blessings it has brought them

Activities During Id-ul-Fitr

• The activities and celebrations for Id-ul-Fitr are similar to those of Id-ul-Adha

• Muslims will go to the mosque for special prayers and a sermon

• They will wear new clothes and decorate their homes

• They exchange cards and gifts

• They will use the greeting ‘Id Mubarak’ which means ‘Have a blessed Id’

• The head of each household will make a donation to charity on behalf of the household, so that the needy are not left out at this time of celebration

• Like Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr brings the community and families together and unites everyone

• Muslims will take time to give thanks to Allah for everything in their lives and for the blessings they have received during their period of fasting