Eid-el-Kabir: The Festival Of Sharing And Giving

Eidul adha otherwise called Eid- el Kabir, is a major festival recognised in Islam and celebrated the day after the Muslim pilgrims to Makkah across the globe performed the most important hajj rite- staying on the mountain of Arafat.

Consequently, the 2023 Eidul adha will be celebrated on Wednesday as the government of Saudi Arabia has declared Tuesday as Arafat day.

The festival of sacrifice implies the sacrifice of animals such as ram, sheep, goat, cow and camel by Muslims who have the means to do so. After slaughtering the animals upon their return from Eid prayer ground, those who are able to perform the sacrifice are expected to distribute some parts of the meat to their neighbours who do not have the means to buy one.

However as Muslims in Ilorin, Kwara State are struggling to find means to buy animals for the sacrifice, amidst scarce resources and hike in price of the animals, an Ilorin- based Muslim preacher, Imam AbdulRasaq Mahmud Karebu cautioned against taking loans for the purpose of buying the animals or buying them on credit.

Imam Karebu stated the sacrifice of animals is not compulsory for those who cannot afford it, adding that, “What Allah enjoins on all of us is piety and sincerity of purpose.”

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Speaking on the importance of Eidul adha, a professor of Islamic Studies at AlHikmah University, Ilorin, AbdulLateef Oladimeji said, “ It is a celebration to commemorate the faithfulness and complete submission to Allah by the father of faith, Prophet Ibraheem. This day serves as a day to sacrifice ram, rather than the son of Prophet Ibraheem who had pledged, while praying to Allah for a child. Allah accepted his prayers and he was blessed with Ismail. At the age of maturity, Allah reminded Ibraheem of his pledge and he was prepared to do just that. Sacrifice his son to Allah. But out of His magnanimity Allah replaced the slaughtering of the son with a ram.

“Thus, Muslims all over the world commemorate this event on the 10th of Dhul Hijja- the last month of Islamic calendar by slaughtering animals as a mark of dedication and submission.

Meanwhile, residents who spoke with me said they were preparing for the Eid-el-kabir festival with apprehension based on daily increase in prices of food and rams, in particular.

Alhaji Folorunsho Habeeb, who said that he had planned to buy a medium size ram for sallah, added that he had to settle for a small and average one considering present high cost of rams.

Rams sellers also told me that business was not booming due to high transport fare, among other reasons.

Vice chairman of B’asirimi Oluwa Ram Market Association, Fate Road, Ilorin, Ibrahim Wasiu said, ” Last year sales were better than this year. The smallest ram is N35,000 and the big one is N250,000. The medium ones are between N80,000 and N85,000. There’s no market.”