Eid al-Adha in Kazakhstan set for August 11

AKIPRESS.COM - The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan said that the country will celebrate Kurban Ait (Eid al-Adha) on August 11 this year, Zakon.kz reported. "According to the astronomical research, a birthday of the Moon falls to Thursday, August 1. August 2 is the first day of the month of Zul Hijjah. The day of the Arafa is August 2. The Arafa day is a day, when pilgrims worship on the Arafa mountain," the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan explained.
For those Muslims, who do not perform Hajj, posting is wecomed on this day, the Administration noted.
Eid al-Adha also called the "Festival of the Sacrifice", is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year (the other being Eid al-Fitr), and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God's command. But, before Abraham could sacrifice his son, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this intervention, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts. One share is given to the poor and needy, another is kept for home, and the third is given to relatives.