Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Gulf states celebrate Eidul Azha

by Tauqeer Abbas
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Muslims in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Indonesia, Malaysia among other countries are celebrating Eidul Azha today (Friday). The festival marks the end of Hajj, an annual pilgrimage that all Muslims are obliged to perform once in their lifetime.

Just 10,000 Muslims, all residents of Saudi Arabia, performed Hajj this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The numbers are just 0.4 percent of last year’s 2.5 million attendees from across the globe.

Eidul Azha is celebrated to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). In line with the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), Muslims across the world slaughter animals as a sacrifice for Allah. The meat of sacrificed animals is distributed among relatives and the poor.

Many countries have even instructed their Muslim residents to offer Eid prayers with social distancing to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Saudi Arabia will hold three days of festivities and activities for Eidul Azha, which will be themed around discovery and exploration, reported Gulf News.

In Dubai, the police have said that they will monitor residential areas and bolster road safety and security to ensure people comply with COVID-19 safety measures.

People have also been advised to avoid large home gatherings and follow all precautionary measures while visiting shopping centres or relatives during the festival.

Pakistan will celebrate Eidul Azha on August 1. The government has announced holidays from July 31 to August 2 for the festival.

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