Muslims to celebrate Eid-Ul-Adha with prayers at Stad Linite |28 August 2017

The Eid National Committee, regrouping the main Islamic organisations in Seychelles, has announced that the Eid-Ul-Adha  Feast of Sacrifice, prayer for the Muslims on Mahé will take place at the Stad Linite at the Roche Caiman sports complex on Friday September 1.

On Praslin, prayers will be done at the Amitié sports complex whereas on La Digue it will be at the community centre. All prayers will begin at 7am.

As per tradition, Eid prayers are done in the open and not inside the mosques. Compared to previous years when Muslims converged to the Stad Popiler for the prayer, this time around the committee has decided to celebrate the occasion at the Stad Linite. The location is apt, reflecting the efforts being done by all organisations to unite and work towards promoting and reinforcing the spirit of togetherness and peace among the muslim community in Seychelles.

The committee has announced that special bus services will be made available as from 6am for the convenience of Muslims on Mahé to reach the venue on time for prayers. Routes that are being covered include Port Glaud, Baie Lazare, Takamaka, Bel Ombre, Anse Etoile, and St Louis. There will also be a special shuttle service from 6am to 10am from the Victoria bus terminal to the Roche Caiman Sports Complex.

Eid-Ul-Adha is observed after the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The first day of this celebration is held on the 10th day of Duhl-Hijja, which is the last month of the Islamic calendar. It marks the end of the Islamic year 1438 and heralds the coming of the new Islamic year 1439. The day prior to the festival, Muslims observe a day of fasting, the day of Arafa, which according to the Islamic belief “erases the sins committed over the previous year”.

A duty of each Muslim, as described in the Five Pillars of Islam, is to go on Hajj at least once during their lifetime, unless they are prevented by finances or ill health. The pilgrimage also enables Muslims from all around the world, of different colours, languages, races, and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal unity worshiping God together. The Hajj consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolise the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.

It culminates in the celebration of Eid-Ul-Adha, in commemoration of the command given by God to Prophet Abraham (may Allah be pleased with him) to sacrifice his first born son Ishmael to Him. The intention to fulfil the noble command of Allah by Abraham signifies his faith in Allah and it is a reminder for Muslims of how strong their loyalty to God should be. It is also an auspicious moment to thank God for all the blessings bestowed upon us over the past year.

As a symbolic gesture, the day is marked by sacrifices of animals, such as cows and goats, with generous portions of the meat given to the poor as an act of charity.

Islamic months begin at sunset on the day when the lunar crescent appears after the new moon.

Eid-Ul-Adha is the second of the two major Muslim holy days. The other main festival is Eid-Ul-Fitr which follows Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Contributed