Eid Al-Adha is a holiday with a rich history. It’s a three-day event celebrated by almost two billion Muslims worldwide. But many Muslims and non-Muslims alike aren’t familiar with its back-story. The story of Eid Al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, marks the Hajj, a sacred pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim should perform at least once in their life. But the holiday also commemorates something equally as important. It celebrates Prophet Abraham’s will to sacrifice his only son, Ismael, to oblige with God’s commands. Long history lesson short— Abraham was returning from Mecca to Canaan and was given an order by God to leave his wife, Hajar, and his son, Ismael behind. “Did god order you to leave us here or are you just leaving us here to die?” Hajar asked her husband.” Unable to respond to her question and fearing that if he looked at his wife and son, he’d disobey God, Abraham gently nodded. “You can go, Abraham. God will not waste us,” said Hajar, reassuring Abraham that she and Ismael would be fine. Though Abraham left plenty of food and water for both to survive, the…
