The 10th of the month of Dhul Hijjah, Eid ul Adha is celebrated. It is the second most important celebration of the Islamic calendar. On that day, as for the celebration of Eid ul Fitr, the festivities begin with a moment of prayer in the morning held in the mosque and possibly outdoors. Since this festival occurs on the day immediately following the beginning of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims celebrate it at Mina, and not in Mecca.
The `Eid prayer is a Sunna mu’akkada or confirmed Sunna and is recommended to be prayed in congregation. It is wajib (obligatory) in the Hanafi madhhab and therefore required of every person who is required to perform Jum`a, i.e. healthy male residents of the region in which it is performed.
It is a Sunna mu’akkada and, in the Hanafi madhhab, a wajib, for every adult Muslim man and woman to sacrifice at least one shat — a sheep or a goat — for `Eid al-Adha. This may be done any time after the prayer on the first day of `Eid until sunset on the last of the two days following the first day. One may have someone else perform the sacrifice on his behalf, whether in his presence or in absentia.
It is recommended not to eat anything on the day of `Eid al-Adha until one perform the Prayer.
It is recommended to perform ghusl (major ablution) before the prayer, any time after Fajr even if one does not attend the prayer.
It is recommended for men to dress their best and wear perfume. It is Sunna to come to the mosque early and on foot, and to return home by a different route. It is preferable for a `Eid Congregation to pray outdoors.
