Why Is Eid Important? Meaning and How Muslims Celebrate
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Eid is important because Allah gave Muslims two festivals, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, as days of worship, thanks and joy. Eid al-Adha remembers Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) obedience, follows the Day of Arafah, and is marked by the Eid prayer, the takbeer, time with family and the Qurbani sacrifice shared with the poor.
For many children, and plenty of adults, Eid means new clothes, good food and visits to family. All of that is part of it. But Eid in Islam is also an act of worship, with its own prayer, its own Sunnahs and, on Eid al-Adha, its own sacrifice.
What does Eid mean?
The Arabic word eid comes from a root meaning to return: a day of celebration that comes back every year. In Islam the word refers to two days set by Allah, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Anas ibn Malik reported that when the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, the people had two days they played on. He told them: “Allah has given you something better than them: the Day of Sacrifice and the Day of Breaking the Fast” (Sunan Abu Dawud 1134). The two Eids aren’t a custom that grew up over time. They were given.
| Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Festival of Breaking the Fast | Festival of Sacrifice |
| Date | 1 Shawwal, after Ramadan | 10 Dhul Hijjah, during Hajj |
| Special act | Zakat al-Fitr before the prayer | Qurbani after the prayer |
| Before the prayer | Eat something, ideally dates | Don’t eat until after |
| Remembers | Completing the Ramadan fast | The obedience of Ibrahim (AS) |
For more on why there are exactly two, read are there two Eids?
Why Eid is important
It is thanks for worship completed
Both Eids come straight after a great act of worship. Eid al-Fitr comes after a month of fasting. Eid al-Adha comes the day after Arafah, the high point of the Hajj. The celebration is a way of thanking Allah for letting us reach it. That is why the day begins with prayer and the takbeer, not with food.
It remembers the obedience of Ibrahim (AS)
Eid al-Adha brings back the story of Ibrahim (AS), who was ready to sacrifice his son Ismail (AS) when Allah commanded it, until Allah ransomed Ismail with a ram (Surah As-Saffat 37:102 to 107). Every Qurbani repeats that lesson: Allah comes first. “It is not their meat or their blood that reaches Allah. It is your devotion that reaches Him” (Surah Al-Hajj 22:37).
It brings the community together
The Eid prayer is one of the largest gatherings of the year. People pray side by side, greet each other, mend broken ties and visit relatives. The Prophet ﷺ used to go home from the Eid prayer by a different road from the one he came by (Sahih al-Bukhari 986). One reason scholars give is that he met and greeted more people that way.
It makes sure the poor are included
Neither Eid lets the poor be forgotten. Zakat al-Fitr is paid before the Eid al-Fitr prayer so poor families can celebrate too. On Eid al-Adha, Qurbani meat is shared with those in need, often the only meat some families eat all year.
How to celebrate Eid al-Adha the Sunnah way
- Takbeer: after each fard prayer from Fajr on 9 Dhul Hijjah to Asr on the 13th. The words are in Eid takbeer and dua.
- Ghusl, best clothes and perfume in the morning.
- Delay eating until after the prayer, then eat from your Qurbani if you can.
- Pray the Eid prayer in congregation and stay for the khutbah. Here is how to pray it.
- Give your Qurbani after the prayer, up to sunset on the 12th.
- Visit family, give gifts to children and greet people with “Eid Mubarak” or “Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum.”
Eid in the UK
Eid isn’t a bank holiday in the UK, so most people book annual leave and many schools authorise a day’s absence. In 2027, Eid al-Adha is expected on Sunday, May 16, which makes things easier for many families. Large Eid prayers are held in parks and mosques in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford and other cities. Many mosques hold two or three prayers one after another to fit everyone in.
Qurbani is harder. You can’t slaughter at home in the UK. It has to be done in a licensed slaughterhouse. The law allows religious slaughter without stunning, but most animals in the UK, including much halal meat, are stunned first. Getting meat to people in need is also difficult. That is why most British Muslims give their Qurbani through a charity overseas, which is valid in all four schools.
Qurbani: the central act of Eid al-Adha
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever has the means and does not sacrifice, let him not come near our place of prayer” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3123, graded hasan). In the Hanafi school it is wajib for every adult who owns the nisab. In the other schools it is a confirmed Sunnah. One goat or sheep, or one seventh of a cow, covers one person. The animal must be the right age, healthy and slaughtered alive after the Eid prayer with Bismillahi Allahu Akbar. See the Qurbani rules for the details.
When you give through Qurbani Charity, your animal is slaughtered by hand in rural Bangladesh after the Eid prayer, with no stunning, and the meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families. You get photos and video. A cow share is $170, a sheep $175 and a goat $200.
Quick questions
Why do Muslims celebrate Eid? To thank Allah after Ramadan or Hajj, to remember Ibrahim’s obedience, and to share joy with family and the poor.
Which Eid is bigger? Eid al-Adha is often called the bigger Eid (Eid al-Kabir). It lasts longer and includes the sacrifice.
Is it wrong to celebrate Eid quietly? No. The Sunnah acts are what matter. Big gatherings are good, but not required.
When you are ready, read how our Qurbani donation works or reserve your Qurbani. For the basics of the festival itself, start with what is Eid ul Adha?
Give your Qurbani with us
We buy healthy animals of the right age in rural Bangladesh and slaughter them by hand after the Eid prayer, with no stunning. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families, and you get photos and video of your animal.
Reserve from $170 How our Qurbani donation worksDates are estimates based on astronomical calculations and the Umm al-Qura calendar, and depend on the moon sighting. Hadith references include the collection and number so you can check them. Where a narration is graded weak, we say so. Scholars differ on some details, so ask a local scholar about your own situation.
