Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, the second most important religious festival, next week.
The Eid commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to obey Allah’s order to sacrifice his son, Ismail. Satisfied with Ibrahim’s sincerity, the Almighty sent him a ram to slaughter instead.
Thus, the central theme of the festival, popularly called Qurbani Eid, is the spirit of sacrifice.
Eid-ul-Azha, a three-day holiday beginning on the 10th of Zul-Hijjah on the Islamic calendar, involves special prayers and family get-togethers. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice an animal on one of the three days to commemorate Ibrahim’s sacrifice.
The meat from the sacrificial animal, usually goats or cows, is mostly distributed among others _ one-third is donated to the poor and destitute, one-third is given away to neighbours and relatives, while one-third is kept for family members.  
The act symbolises our willingness to give up things that are beneficial to us, and share with others in order to strengthen social ties and help those in need.
Nowadays, however, celebrations of the festival have taken on a more materialistic form, rather than sticking to the spirituality associated with it. Many people appear more concerned about the size and price of their sacrificial animal than respecting the act of sacrifice. Some take pride in showing off their high-priced animals, and such people often create spectacles while distributing the meat publicly.
Moreover, many others profit greatly from the entire occasion, from traders to farmers, who charge exorbitant prices for their cattle, which are often artificially fattened using harmful chemicals.     
And while some prefer to get away for the holiday _ taking advantage of lucrative travel packages, there are millions who forego personal comfort and pack overcrowded transports, amid long tailbacks, just to go home for a few days to be with their near and dear ones.
Eid is a celebration that is incomplete without sharing moments with family and friends. Having a meal cooked with the sacrificed animal with family and friends is one of the highlights of the festival.
But unfortunately, many are unable to return home to their families living in other districts due to time, money or other constraints. For such people, especially students or working men and women who live in dormitories or hostels, it can be a difficult and lonely time. Most services are shut during Eid as employees go away on holiday, and there is few public transport around. But even if they cannot celebrate with family, surely, they will find some friends or neighbours to spend the day with.
It is vital that we do not forget or misinterpret the true significance of the festival. Here’s hoping that this year we remember to make sacrifices as Allah commands, and reach out to those in need while celebrating Eid-ul-Azha. And may the celebrations be truly jubilant!

Significance of Eid-ul-Azha
Some comments

Dr Mohammad Abu Saleh Patwari Muphassir, Department of Deen-E-Dawat & Culture, Islamic Foundation Bangladesh

“The core concept of Eid-ul-Azha is the sacrifice to express gratitude to the Almighty, and attain the virtue of humanity. The main concept of Eid-ul-Azha came from the history of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and his son Hazrat Ismail (AS). Hazrat Ibrahim was going to sacrifice his beloved son to show reverence for Allah. And then, the Almighty accepted his devotion and let him sacrifice an animal, instead of his son. And that is how the tradition of Eid-ul-Azha started. So, it is all about the sacrifice for the grace of Almighty Allah.
Nowadays, a common practice is that some people seem to go for a competition while buying a sacrificial animal, like cow, goat or camel. It is like they have to buy the most expensive one to show off his or her social status. The sacrifice will not be accepted if someone does that.”  

Didar Islam, Student, BASIS
“Eid is a great festive day for us. We love to celebrate this day with our family. But for some reason, I cannot go to my hometown this Eid-ul-Azha. I have to stay in Dhaka. As I share a rented room, I have to suffer. My other roommates will go to their home districts for Eid. Most of the landlord’s family have already gone to their village to celebrate the festival. So, overall it will not be enjoyable for me. On the other hand, most of restaurants will be closed on Eid day, so I will have to suffer for food.

Nahid, Graduate, AIUB
Planning ahead brings me more joy than the actual event. With Eid-ul-Azha knocking on the door, everyone is planning for the event in full swing. But the problem is how to get the most out of these precious days off. Do I fill them up with activities with friends? Or is it best to spend the whole holiday enjoying the company of my family? For me, the best attraction of this Eid is sacrificing our animal and helping mom sort the meat, which usually takes half a day. I am planning on spending the rest of that day visiting my relatives. As for the remainder of the holiday, nothing sounds more fun than hanging out with my friends -- exploring every corner of Dhaka city with less traffic around.

Abdullah Al Mamun, Businessman
During Eid, my family members usually go to our hometown to celebrate the festival. I used to go with them, but for a couple of years now I have decided to stay in Dhaka. One of the main reasons for that is I have experienced the terrible traffic jams that occur during the holidays, and to be honest, I find it very exhausting. Of course, there are some drawbacks of staying back in Dhaka during Eid, especially for bachelors like me. Many restaurants remain closed and household staff go away, so it’s hard to get a proper meal, unless you know how to cook or have some relative staying around.

Md Rubayet Sayeed Tanvir, Student
During Eid-ul-Azha, many people stay back in Dhaka, while many others come to the capital in search of some extra cash. I, on the other hand, like to celebrate Eid with my family in my hometown. I know travelling during the holidays can be a hectic experience, but I like it. I love it when I see people smile after waiting for hours for a ticket and finally getting it. It’s like I feel a sense of happiness within me when I see the people happy. In my hometown, we don’t sacrifice animals on the roadsides; we have selected fields beside the mosques. It’s hygienic, and easier for the cleaners to collect the waste. I am a food junkie and all year round I don’t get to eat homecooked meals, so during Eid, I make sure I make up for that.   

Md Hira, Service Holder
My family has been living in Dhaka for many years now and during Eid, we stay in the city. I am working in a private TV channel, and  also I am doing my Masters from National University, so in a way, I have to stay in Dhaka. Most of my friends are here, too, during Eid, so I kind of like it. To me, during the festival, Dhaka turns into a ghost town as there is hardly any traffic in the streets. Also, the traffic police allow all kinds of vehicles to ply on the main streets, so my friends and I usually go on long rickshaw rides. During Eid, we have this habit of eating various kinds of foods throughout the week. For me, ‘chotpoti’ is something I have to have for Eid.

Aateeya Saabeen,  Student, Holy Cross College
To me, traffic-free Dhaka during Eid is bliss. The city empties out, and you feel like you’re in an action movie, where your squad is the only one that remains till the end. It’s quite hard to go places if you don’t have private transport, but the jam-free roads make up for that. But since most of the people in Dhaka go to their villages to celebrate Eid and there are less crowds everywhere, it also increases your chance of getting mugged. We usually have our relatives over for Eid. Traditional dishes as well as some hand-me-down family recipes are made. I spend the first day of Eid with my family, because it’s one of those very rare times when everyone gets together. I usually go out with my friends on the second and third days. Sometimes, we go out for movies, or simply meet up at someone’s place.