Azerbaijan celebrates Eid al-Adha

Azerbaijan is celebrating Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice) on June 28-29.

Celebratory namaz (muslim prayer) will be performed in mosques today, Caliber.Az reports.

According to Shariah, the sacrifice can be performed for three days.

For the third year, the Azerbaijani people celebrate Eid Al-Adha as a victorious nation, including in the liberated territories.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev congratulated the people on this occasion.

The head of state conveyed his sincerest wishes to the people and wished them happiness, prosperity and well-being. The Council of Qazis of the Caucasus Board of Muslims gave advice on the celebration of Eid Al-Adha.

According to the religious instructions and rules, it is obligatory for pilgrims making the hajj to Mecca to perform the sacrifice. Elsewhere, it is a great blessing to offer sacrifices to people of opportunity and to distribute sacrificial meat to poor and needy families.

A sheep is usually the preferred sacrificial animal. However, goats, cows and camels can also be sacrificed. Everyone is free to divide the meat as they wish, but helping the poor is closer to the spirit of our religion.

The rite of sacrifice must be performed in conditions of cleanliness and sanitation in suitable places. According to Shariah rules, the sacrificial animal must be healthy and fit for slaughter. Sick, thin, and defective animals are not considered suitable for sacrifice. It is customary to slaughter animals that have reached a certain age. Goats and sheep must be about one year old, bulls and cows more than one or two years old, and camels at least five years old.

According to Shariah, it is important that the animal be slaughtered in the name of Allah with the intention of the sacrifice facing the Qibla (the direction which all Muslims face when performing their prayers, wherever they are in the world). The sacrificial meat is divided into three portions: one portion is taken by the sacrificer for himself, the second is recommended to be given to the poor and destitute, and the third is given as a gift to relatives.

To carry out the slaughter and sale of sacrificial animals in accordance with the rules and regulations, under safe and healthy conditions, sales and slaughter services for sacrificial animals will be organised at 138 locations across the country.

In these outlets, customers will be presented with sacrificial animals that have passed veterinary inspection and slaughtered in compliance with sanitary and hygienic requirements. In addition, in a number of regions, mobile slaughter tents will be set up with the approval of the Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan, where sacrificial animals will be slaughtered and sold under veterinary control.

On holidays, from 08:00 to 20:00 citizens may use the abovementioned services for the sale and slaughter of sacrificial animals.

Hadiths say that prayers are accepted on the night and day of Eid al-Adha.

The days of Eid al-Adha are declared as non-working days in Azerbaijan.