KURBAN-BAYRAM,

KURBAN-BAYRAM, one of the most important Muslim holidays. It begins on the day of the Hajj completion, in the Zulhidzh month’s 10th day (12th month in the Muslim’s calendar) and it lasts 3—4 days. On this day, Muslims visit the mosque, listen to Khutbahs (Sermons) dedicated to the origin and significance of the holiday, and to the glory of Allah. All these are followed by animal sacrifice, which is the main ritual act of K.‑b. (Eid al‑Adha/Feast of the Sacrifice). It is believed that every Muslim who has enough means to purchase a sacrificial animal (camel, bull, cow, ram or goat) must perform its sacrificial killing. The meat of the animal should be divided into 3 parts: one for a communal meal, a second one for distribution to the relatives and neighbours, and the third one for alms to the poor. The history of K.‑b. goes back to the famous Quranic story about how Allah, having shown mercy and being convinced of the prophet Ibrahim’s — Abraham, biblical) inviolate faith, replaced Ibrahim’s intended sacrificial son, Ismail, with a lamb.

Since 1992, the first day of K.‑b. has been declared a holiday in the RB.