Nation celebrates Eid ul Azha with religious zeal today

ISLAMABAD: Faithful will celebrate Eid ul Azha today (Wednesday) with great religious zeal and fervour across the country to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), under strict anti-COVID-19 SOPs introduced by the government to prevent the virus spread. The day will dawn with special prayers in mosques for the well-being of the Ummah and progress, prosperity, safety and security of the country. Religious scholars, in their Eid sermons will highlight the importance to follow the Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS).

In the federal capital, the main Eid congregation will be held at the Faisal Mosque.

Following the Eid prayers, the Muslims will perform the ritual of sacrificing animals, spend their time feasting with family and friends, and distribute sacrificial meat among their family members, friends, and the poor.

The government has advised the faithful to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for containing the COVID-19 while performing the ritual of sacrificing animals.

While offering Eid prayers, they should keep distance, and avoid hugging and instead extend only greetings. Special security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful observance of the three-day festivity across the country.

Radio and television channels would air special programmes during the Eid days.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, in their messages, felicitated the Pakistani nation and the whole Muslim Ummah on the holy occasion of Eid ul Azha and expressed their best wishes.

The president has stressed upon the people to extend all possible help and support to the poor and the needy on the auspicious occasion of Eidul Azha.

In his message on Eid ul Azha, 1442 Hijri being observed across the country today (Wednesday). He said the day rekindled the lessons of supreme sacrifices and obedience of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS).

The day reminded us that Allah Almighty had tested His pious personalities through different ordeals and it was a lesson for us to remain prepared and determined for any test in life. Giving sacrifices to achieve an objective, was a key to success, he observed.

The president said the world was passing through a coronavirus pandemic which had badly affected humanity across the world. Even the big and powerful governments had failed to provide relief to their people, he said.

He appealed to the nation to strictly observe coronavirus precautionary measures including wearing of masks, hand washing and social distancing, so that they could succeed in overcoming the global challenge with determination.

While Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that without the spirit of sacrifice, a nation could not aspire to achieve development as the very human essence had a global significance.

In his message on Eidul-Azha, the prime minister conveyed his felicitations to the whole Pakistani nation and the Muslim world.

The prime minister said sacrificing an animal on this holy festival manifested that a person has to sacrifice human desires for the achievement of the highest ideals.

Such a passion generated a quality in humans that would not let them side-track from the right path, he observed. The prime minister opined that it was the passion which helped the Pakistani nation to save itself from the global coronavirus pandemic with wisdom, national strategy and patience. The prime minister noted that the celebration of Eid ul Azha reminded them of the unprecedented and supreme sacrifices of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS).

Allah Almighty liked their act of sacrifice so much that it was declared an obligation for the rest of the Ummah to perform till the Day of Judgement.

The prime minister further said that the economic situation with which the country was confronted, had been changing now.

The country’s economy was put on the right track and as a result of the government's steps, the economic indicators were showing a positive trajectory, he added.

The prime minister said through different schemes launched by his government, the people were being provided with relief. The day was not far, he resolved, when Pakistan would be standing equally in the ranks of developed countries and the whole nation would feel pride among the comity of nations.