Stories from Early Islam — Page 28
28 Services are held at convenient places where large numbers gather for the worship, and the Imam delivers a sermon. The second festival is called Eid-ul-Ad’ha, the festival of sacrifice. It is celebrated in memory of the readiness of Ibrahim [Abraham] to sacrifice his only son Ismail [Ishmael], as he con- sidered God had commanded him to do. An extra Service is held in the forenoon in which a sermon is delivered. On this day those Muslims who can afford to slaughter an animal, do so after the Prayer, as a sacrifice. The person who offers the sacrifice is allowed to use a por- tion of the meat, the remainder is distributed among the rela- tives, friends, neighbours and the poor. Millions of animals are slaughtered all over the world on this occasion.