Amid safety precautions, Covid restrictions Eid celebrations begin

New Delhi | 1-Aug-2020

With COVID-19 restrictions in place around the world including India, Muslims are celebrating the festival of Eid al-Adha taking all safety precautions and maintaining social distancing.
This is the second Eid celebration in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc across the world. The first Eid- the Eid-ul-Fitr, was celebrated on May 25 this year.
Also known as the festival of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha is celebrated by Muslims on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the 12 and last month of the lunar calendar. It also marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. However, Hajj was cancelled this year due to pandemic fear.
The festival is celebrated in the memory of Prophet Abraham, who obeyed the command of God to 'sacrifice' his first-born son Ismail. However, he was stopped short of sacrificing his son by God and instead ordered him to sacrifice an animal.
What Muslims in Delhi and other places regret or miss is the participation in Idgah prayers as governments have banned mass gatherings in view of the COVID pandemic.
"Well, this year the eid celebrations are subdued due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, I used to sacrifice two animals, but this Bakraeid I have decided to sacrifice only one goat and donate rest of the money to the needy people," said Nabeel A Khan, a Delhi based journalist.
Nabeel added, "We will offer eid prayers at our home, and venturing out is a strict no-no. What we are missing this eid is the essence of gathering and brotherhood during collective prayers at Idgah. So those embellishments will be out of sight. It is, of course, disappointing but we can't help it because the situation is as such. I would request other people to stay indoors, be safe, and not venture out in crowded places."
Nadeem Khan, a second-year hotel management student in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, said he will miss inviting guests at his home.
"Before the pandemic, there used to be a big gathering of guests at our home, but this time the celebrations are subdued. Another thing is missing out on Idgah prayers," Nadeem said.
Mohd Sajid, who has a tailoring shop in Mawana town of Meerut district, said the biggest impact the COVID pandemic had on the celebrations is the restrictions on movement.
"Due to lockdown restrictions, we were not able to visit our distant relatives on the day of the festival. However, we are also taking precautions and are venturing out unnecessarily. But we feel that authorities should relax certain rules at least on the day of the festival not harass people," said Mohd Sajid.
Sajid also said that people should take care of the sentiments of the non-Muslims while performing their religious duties like sacrificing animals.
"As the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan is falling on the third day Eid al-Adha, people should be more cautious while sacrificing animals. Care should be taken that animals are not sacrificed in open," Sajid added.
Several other people this reporter spoke to also complained of the high cost of things needed during this festival.
"The cost of sacrificial animals has gone too high compared to last year due to coronavirus restrictions. There was also difficulty in arranging milk to prepare sheer as local dairies were closed and milkmen did not come due to restrictions, said Nishat Anjum, a homemaker in Mawana.