Worshippers in Birmingham will be among the millions across the world celebrating Eid ul Adha once again this year
17:02, 09 May 2025Updated 17:04, 09 May 2025
Muslims at the Blue Mosque in Taguig, east of Manila, Philippines, attending an early morning prayer to mark Eid ul Adha(Image: AP)
The countdown is on for Eid ul Adha 2025, the second Eid celebration of the year.
It will start on the 10th day of the calendar’s 12th month of Dhul Hijjah.
The Islamic calendar is lunar and runs for around 354 days, which doesn’t align with the 365 days of the solar-based Gregorian calendar. This is why the 12th month of the Muslim year will start this year in late May.
Dates of Islamic events come forward by 10 or 11 days a year because of this disparity.
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How many days until Eid ul Adha 2025?
Last year, Eid ul Adha was on June 16 in Saudi Arabia. It was a day later, on June 17 in Morocco, India, Pakistan and for those in the UK relying on local moonsightings.
Moonsighting officials look for the crescent on the 29th day of the existing month, Dhul Qadah, which this year will be Tuesday, May 27.
It may be difficult to get a confirmed sighting, and that would mean the month going on for one more day.
It’s predicted that Dhul Hijjah will start on May 29, and Eid ul Adha will get underway on the evening of Friday, June 6.
This means there are currently 28 days until Eid ul Adha. The festivities last three or four days and are expected to include a large public gathering with outdoor prayers in Birmingham.
Why is it also called Big Eid and Qurbani Eid?
Eid ul Adha is also known by other names including Big Eid and Qurbani Eid.
Whereas the earlier Eid ul Fitr is also called Lesser Eid or Small Eid because it is regarded as less significant, marking the end of fasting in Ramadan, Eid ul Adha has earned the titles of Greater Eid and Big Eid because it celebrates faith and devotion.
This is based on an account that demonstrated the Prophet Ibraham’s unwavering obedience to the Almighty.
Ibramim (Abraham) was commanded to sacrifice his own son to God and as he was about to do so, he was rewarded for his devotion with a ram to slay instead.
The Arabic word for sacrifice is Qurbani, which describes the ritual slaughter of livestock for the festivities.
These days, it is usually carried out in the form of a donation to charities that send meat and other food to the disadvantaged in poorer parts of the world. For this reason, Eid ul Adha is also known as Qurbani Eid.
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