Eid Al Adha

You are blessed to be spending Eid Al Adha in the holy city of Makkah. The multi-day celebration, which honors Ibrahim’s (PBUH) willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah (SWT), begins with morning prayers. You gather with a group of faithful to perform the Fajr prayer and hear a sermon on the importance of obedience and strengthening trust in God.

Locals have graciously invited you into their home to share good fortunes. For this special time, a lamb has been kept and tenderly cared for. Pleasing Allah (SWT), the family patriarch enters a small courtyard to perform the sacrificial slaughter. Soon after, the sacrifice turns to sustenance as fresh meat is wrapped in caul fat and placed on skewers with plump slices of onion. These kebabs are slow roasted over an open fire.

Inside, the family matriarch begins cooking the Qurbani meat. The oven warms. Soon, the aromatic blend of tender lamb, coriander, garlic and chile wafts through the house. As evening arrives, so do friends and family. Dressed in their best attires, they join in feasting on the sacrificial lamb. Later, gifts are exchanged. Your host presents his wife with a simple but elegant necklace of carved wooden beads. In turn, he is gifted with cologne of amber and smokey agarwood. Their young daughter receives a book of poems.

The next day, you awake to the scent of fried liver floating through the home. Thanks to the offering, there will be hearty breakfasts for all. Later, the family gathers for the customary sectioning of the sacrifice. One third will be kept by the household, a second third will be bestowed to family and friends, while the remaining third will be given to ones in need. None should know hunger during the celebration.

Though still early in the day, dinner is being prepared. Your host gently stokes an open fire. The light from its glowing embers casts a golden hue across the courtyard. A generous portion of meat is placed on a spit over the flames. With a brush and small dish of melted butter, your host begins the slow cooking process. Tonight, all will dine on méchoui. You can almost taste the tender meat, delicately seasoned with cumin and salt. You have truly known blessings during these days of Eid Al Adha.