In picture: Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Azha
Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Azha, a religious holiday which in Arabic means the "festival of the sacrifice".
The festival marks the end of Hajj, the five-day pilgrimage Muslims undertake to Islam's holiest city, Mecca, and surrounding areas of western Saudi Arabia to cleanse the soul of sins and instil a sense of equality and brotherhood.
Eid al-Azha commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim's test of faith when he was commanded by God to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
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The belief holds that God stayed his hand, sparing the boy and placing a ram in his place.
The day is marked with the sacrifice of an animal, usually a goat, sheep or cow, and the distribution of the meat among neighbours, family members and the poor.
People pray in a mosque celebration the Eid AlAdha in Shali, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south-east of Grozny, the capital of Chechen Republic, Russia. Photo: AP
An Afghan woman prays on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Image Credit: Reuters
Palestinians celebrate on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City.
Image Credit: Reuters
People pray on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha, outside the Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii or Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
Image Credit: Reuters
People perform the Eid al-Adha prayer at the Islamic Center of Greater Miami on Saturday, July 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. MATIAS J. OCNER [email protected]
Muslim pilgrims walk to cast stones at a pillar in the symbolic stoning of the devil, during the last rite of the annual hajj, and the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Mina near the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, July 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Amr Nabil AP
