Id-ul-Adha and Id-ul-Fitr

Two festivals with different meanings

Id-ul-Adha and Id-ul-Fitr are the two main Muslim festivals. ‘Id’, also written ‘Eid’, means festival. Both combine worship with joyful gatherings, generosity and gratitude to Allah. They are not simply holidays: their celebrations connect religious beliefs with the way Muslims treat their families and other people.

The distinction is in what they remember. Id-ul-Adha is the festival of sacrifice, recalling Ibrahim’s willingness to obey Allah. Id-ul-Fitr marks the completion of Ramadan fasting, giving Muslims an opportunity to thank Allah for the blessings of that month. Both festivals are celebrated by Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, although some rules governing their observance differ.

Ibrahim’s test of faith: Surah 37:77–111

The Qur’anic passage places Ibrahim within a continuing tradition of faithful servants of Allah. Verses 77–82 conclude the account of Nuh, while verses 83 onwards turn to Ibrahim. Ibrahim challenges his people’s worship of idols, asking why they worship objects they have made themselves. His loyalty is to Allah rather than to the beliefs of those around him.

The account then describes Ibrahim praying for a righteous son. When the boy is old enough to work alongside him, Ibrahim tells him that he has dreamed of sacrificing him. The son replies: ‘Father, do as you were told; you’ll find me patient, Allah willing’ (Surah 37:102). Muslims traditionally identify this son as Isma’il.

Both father and son submit to Allah. As Ibrahim prepares to carry out the sacrifice, Allah calls to him and declares that he has fulfilled the dream. The passage describes this as a ‘clear test of faith’ (37:106), and a substitute sacrifice is provided (37:107). The son is spared.

The story therefore teaches more than Ibrahim’s obedience alone. Isma’il also willingly trusts Allah. Together, they demonstrate devotion even when obedience seems to demand something extremely difficult. Allah’s intervention expresses mercy: their faithfulness is recognised without the son being killed.

How Id-ul-Adha turns remembrance into action

Id-ul-Adha was established as a Muslim festival by the Prophet Muhammad and is closely connected with the completion of Hajj. It begins on 10 Dhū al-Hijjah, the month of pilgrimage in the Islamic calendar. Its significance extends beyond pilgrims: Muslims elsewhere also remember Ibrahim’s example.

A central activity is the sacrifice of an animal, such as a sheep. This remembers the sacrifice associated with Ibrahim’s test. Meat is shared with people in need, so remembrance also becomes practical generosity. In the United Kingdom, Muslims may arrange for an animal to be sacrificed using halal methods rather than carrying this out themselves.

Muslims attend special prayers and hear a sermon at the mosque. Prayer makes worship central to the celebration, while the sermon offers an opportunity to reflect on its meaning. Families may wear new clothes, exchange cards and presents, visit one another and use the greeting ‘Id Mubarak’.

These activities have connected purposes. Gathering strengthens family and community relationships; sharing food includes others in the celebration; and remembering Ibrahim encourages individuals to consider their own commitment to Allah. The festival celebrates Allah’s mercy while challenging Muslims to show devotion in their everyday lives.

Id-ul-Fitr: gratitude after Ramadan

In Sunni Islam, Id-ul-Fitr celebrates the completion of Sawm during Ramadan. Its origins are associated with the Prophet Muhammad, who first celebrated the festival. It falls on 1 Shawwal, the beginning of the next Islamic month, marked by the sighting of the new crescent moon.

The joy of Id-ul-Fitr is not merely relief that fasting has ended. Muslims give thanks to Allah for the blessings received through fasting and worship. The celebration connects the discipline of Ramadan with gratitude: the month’s religious experiences are something to value, not simply a difficulty to leave behind.

Worship, charity and celebration at Id-ul-Fitr

Muslims attend special prayers and a sermon. Families may wear new clothes, decorate their homes, exchange gifts and cards, and greet others with ‘Id Mubarak’. Meals and visits bring relatives and the wider Muslim community together.

The head of a household makes a charitable donation on behalf of the household so that people in need are not excluded from the celebration. This giving is known as Zakat al-Fitr. It gives the festival an important social meaning: gratitude for one’s blessings should lead to concern for others.

Although the two festivals share prayer, generosity and family gatherings, their central acts of remembrance differ. At Id-ul-Adha, sacrifice recalls Ibrahim’s submission and Allah’s mercy. At Id-ul-Fitr, celebration and charity express thankfulness following Ramadan. In both, religious belief is made visible through worship and care for other people.

The place of both festivals in Shi’a Islam

Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha are not exclusively Sunni festivals. Shi’a Muslims also observe them through worship and generosity. The guidance of the Twelver Shi’a authority Ayatollah al-Sistani shows how these shared celebrations have a place within Shi’a religious practice.

For Id-ul-Fitr, al-Sistani recommends eating something after sunrise, paying the fitrah alms and then performing the Eid prayer. Eating marks the end of Ramadan’s fasting, while giving ensures that celebration includes concern for people in need. The recommended Eid supplication praises Allah’s greatness, mercy and forgiveness, asks for goodness and protection from evil, and invokes blessings on Muhammad and his family. Celebration therefore remains an act of worship, not simply a social occasion.

For Id-ul-Adha, al-Sistani describes animal sacrifice as an emphatically recommended act for those who can afford it. His guidance allows a third of the meat to be kept for oneself or one’s family and another third to be given to other Muslims, with a recommended precaution to give the remaining third to poor Muslims. This connects devotion with sharing and care for others. These rulings concern the festival sacrifice; they should not be confused with the separate requirements applying to sacrifice during Hajj.

Al-Sistani also distinguishes the status of Eid prayer according to the presence of the Imam. In Twelver Shi’a belief, the Imam is currently in occultation, meaning hidden from public presence. Al-Sistani teaches that Eid prayer is obligatory and congregational when the Imam is present, but recommended during his occultation and may then be performed together or individually.

These differences in religious rules do not remove the festivals’ shared importance. For Sunni and Shi’a Muslims alike, they bring worship and generosity into community life: Id-ul-Adha recalls faithful submission, while Id-ul-Fitr expresses gratitude after Ramadan.