Eid Al Adha sacrifice in UAE: Traditions, approved apps, fines; all you need to know

Abu Dhabi - Preparations have been made for the public to safely perform rituals in compliance with the tenets of Islam.

Traditionally, Eid Al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is marked by offering special prayers and slaughtering livestock — usually, a goat, sheep, cow or camel — to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's test of faith.

On the festive occasion, Muslims sacrifice animals, as per Allah's orders.

The faith upholds: "Pray to your Lord and sacrifice to Him alone." It is about giving up something you hold dear in devotion to Allah.

What kind of animals are sacrificed?

Usually, it's a sheep, goat, cow, or camel (male or female).

The age of the animal must be one year for a goat or a sheep, and two and five years for a cow and a camel, respectively.

The sacrificial animal shouldn't suffer from any kind of deformities or sickness.

When can animals be sacrificed?

The time of sacrifice begins after the Eid prayer on Tuesday (July 20) and lasts until the "Asr" prayer of the 13th day of Dhu Al Hijjah — the 12th and the last month of the Islamic calendar — on Friday (July 23).

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The sacrifice is allowed only during the daytime.

Eid Al Adha sacrifice

A devotee is allowed to appoint another person to carry out the slaughter. But doing so with one's own hands is considered sunnah (habitual practice).

The person who offers the sacrifice is not supposed to remove any of their hair or nails until the sacrifice is made on the day of Eid Al Adha in the name of Allah.

Eating the sacrificial meat is sunnah. Muslims also give parts of the meat as a gift and charity.

However, the distribution of meat this year, akin to 2020, has to strictly follow Covid-related norms because of the raging pandemic, the authorities said.

Eid Al Adha rituals in Abu Dhabi

The UAE's capital city has made adequate preparations for the public to safely perform Eid Al Adha rituals in compliance with the tenets of Islam.

All abattoirs, which the Abu Dhabi Municipality runs, are ready for the festive occasion. Sacrifices must only be conducted at approved abattoirs that provide drive-through services to the devotees as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the viral outbreak, civic authorities said.

The sacrificial animals can be brought from the livestock market at Mina Zayed in the city.

Residents have been urged to take the animals to designated abattoirs at Al Mina, Al Wathba, Baniyas and Al Shahama for the sacrifice in line with the ritual and under the supervision of a veterinary crew. The sacrifices will be carried out between 6:30 and 7:30pm.

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The civic authorities have fixed prices at Dh15 for slaughtering a goat or sheep, Dh40 for a calf or young camel and Dh60 for a cow or camel.

The civic body has also introduced slaughter applications (apps) such as Zabehaty, Zabayeh Al Jazeera, and Dhabayeh UAE to further simplify the process.

The public is not allowed to buy any livestock from street-side vendors and slaughter animals at homes, streets or public places.

Strict restrictions have been put in place to safeguard public health, and violators will be fined Dh5,000. The sacrificial animals will also be confiscated.

Holy sacrifice via UAE Red Crescent

The holy sacrifice can also be made through the UAE Red Crescent. The devotees can purchase coupons from the UAE Red Crescent kiosks in commercial centres or online from its website.

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi