It appears that Eid Al-Adha lies on September 12, a day after a tragic event that will never be forgotten: 9/11. The Muslim community is concerned people may misunderstand the “festival celebration” as a “celebration of the attack” that took place on September 11, 2001. By spreading awareness of this holiday, Muslims hope to prevent any hate crimes or falsely-made claims on Muslims supposedly “celebrating” the attack.

When you discover 1.7 billion Muslims chanting “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God the Great,” remember it is not associated with the 9/11 attack but with their festival holiday. So when you pass by a Muslim this Monday, take a moment to wish them a “Happy Eid,” “Eid Greetings,” or “Eid Mubarak.”

Significance of Eid Al-Adha Festival

Muslims follow the lunar calendar, which is based on complete cycles of phases of the moon for the two religious holidays (Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha) they celebrate yearly. The dates of the festival are determined based on the birth of the new moon. A new moon, or crescent moon, determines the beginning of the month and marks the end of the month by sighting the new moon or completing thirty days of the current month.

The festival Eid Al-Adha, also known as “The Sacrificial Feast,” is nearby. It is the holiest festival which Muslims celebrate annually worldwide in memory of the Great man in history, the father of the three divine religions of the earth (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), and that is prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and his son, whom he was commanded to sacrifice. But God the Most High ransomed his son, Ishmael, with a sheep, which has remained till today the Symbol of the Abrahamic Religion. This is a very well-known story by Muslims, Christians, and Jews.