COTABATO CITY (PIA) -- Eid’l Adha or the feast of sacrifice, is considered the largest of the two main holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world, the other being Eid'l Fitr.

In the country, Muslim Filipinos will be celebrating this holy event on Wednesday, June 28, which was declared a regular holiday throughout the country by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

According to RA 9849, the declaration of Eid’l Adha will allow Muslims to “pay homage to Abraham’s supreme act of sacrifice and signifies mankind’s obedience to God.”

The Islamic Holy Qur’an said that the revered Prophet Abraham, who was very close to the Almighty God, sacrificed his son Ishmael after having a dream of having been instructed by the Almighty to sacrifice his son.

Muslim scholars believed that this dream may be a lesson—an indication of God’s manifestation that the Almighty should come before everything else, as obedience to the Almighty should always come first.

For Aida Abo, a resident of Cotabato City, this celebration of Eid’l Adha is also a great time to reflect and cherish the moments with her family and friends.

“Ang Eid’l Adha ay panahon para mag dasal kasama ang buong pamilya. Panahon din ito na magbigayan, kung kaya mong magbigay sa iyong kapwa, lalo na yung mga walang-walang talaga,” she stressed.

(Eid’l Adha is also the best time for Muslims to pray together with their families. This is also a time for sharing our blessings with others, especially those who have nothing.)

She also said that tomorrow, June 27, a day before Eid’l Adha, Muslims are encouraged to fast from sunrise to sunset.

“Mag fast kami ng isang araw, bukas, tapos sa June 28 sa mismong araw ng Eid, wala na,” she added.

(We will fast tomorrow and ends before the start of Eid.)

Abo also shared that during the said festival, families that can afford to sacrifice a ritually acceptable animal like a goat or cow may divide its meat equally among themselves and the poor, including friends and neighbors. Thus, the event has been regarded as a festival of sharing.

Moreover, Eid’l Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic calendar. It also marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the fifth Pillar of Islam. (LTB - PIA Region XII)