Sacrifice, prayers, get-togethers mark the festival in Abu Dhabi

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Sacrifice, prayers, get-togethers mark the festival in Abu Dhabi
A man plays with his child after prayers at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi - After performing prayers, people hugged one another with 'Eid Mubarak' greetings.

by

Ashwani Kumar

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Published: Tue 21 Aug 2018, 10:15 PM

Last updated: Wed 22 Aug 2018, 12:19 AM

Thousands of Muslims in Abu Dhabi celebrated Eid Al Adha with prayers at mosques and animal sacrifices.
The day began with Salat Al Eid prayers. After performing prayers, people hugged one another with 'Eid Mubarak' greetings.
Friends Sulaiman Nasser and Salem Hassan celebrated the day by giving alms to needy.
"Eid Al Adha is a festival of sacrifice. We will share our sacrificial animal with the poor too. We also remember the sacrifice made by the UAE martyrs," the duo said outside Thani Bin Murshid Mosque in the city.
Most people said they will be travelling and exploring new places.
Khalifah Sharqi, a local, said to have brought new dresses for everyone in his family and was set for road trip.
"I work in Dubai and my family is here in Abu Dhabi. It is a must for us to get together on festival days. We all in the family will head back to Dubai for rest of the holidays," Sharqi said. "I haven't exactly planned but we will go outing and camping most days," he added.
Saoud Musabbeh, another Emirati, will be travelling to Al Ain.
"I got my big family in Al Ain. Unfortunately, I couldn't join them but we will be together soon. We will be going to hill top and a long trip to Muscat is also planned. Hopefully, I will not miss out on fun time," he said.
For expats, especially singles in the city, the day was about catching up with friends over lunch and spending time together.
Hamid Ali, a resident, said his friends from Sharjah came over just in time for afternoon feast.
"Last time, I had visited them and now all four of them are here. We will be going out for a movie. We haven't planned anything special than just roaming around malls checking special events," Ali from Bangladesh said.
However, most people like Abdul Ashiq from the Indian state of Kerala weren't celebrating this time.
"My mother passed away a few months back. But with my state still recovering from flood situation, all of us in our room have decided not to celebrate both Eid and Onam festivals. We just offered prayers for our brothers and sisters in Kerala," Ashiq said.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com


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