Eid Sacrifice: Religious Ritual Linked to Qatari Culture and Heritage

Eid al-Adha, like Eid al-Fitr, is the joy of young and old alike in every country of the Islamic world from the east and west of the earth, and the day of honorable souls forgets their bad feelings, so they meet after separation, and reconcile after suffering, in order to consolidate the bonds of brotherhood and love between relatives and neighbors.

In Qatar, like in other countries of the Islamic world, families prepare to welcome Eid, and the head of the family prepares to offer Eid sacrifices, according to the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him.

The head of the family takes with him his children and family members, either to the markets designated for the sale of cattle or to the “azab” (animal breeding barns), so that they all participate in the purchase process.

The people of Qatar are still loyal to the customs and traditions of Eid al-Adha, in line with the Islamic religion, despite the winds of civilization and modernity that have invaded every place in the world.

However, in order to maintain the cleanliness of homes and contribute to the dissemination of environmental culture, they go to the slaughterhouses provided by the concerned authorities that provided specialized veterinarians and skilled manpower, and they attend with their children in a festive atmosphere to stand on their sacrifice, seeking wages and reward and distribute their meat to relatives, friends, the poor, and the needy, and some of them keep it to sacrifice it on the second or third days of Eid, which are the days of al-Tashreeq.

In this context, Mr. Atiq Al-Sulaiti, a researcher in heritage, said in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA): “In the past, when the head of the family made the intention to sacrifice on Eid al-Adha or "Eid al dahiya," as it is said according to the Qatari dialect, he would go to Al-Dabash market, as it is called, was previously located in the Doha market, east of Souq Waqif, west of the Municipal Council today.

He chooses the right sacrifice (mostly a sheep) that meets the conditions of the sacrifice, so you see him inspecting it for ghee and making sure that it is not lean or old, and it must be free from defects such as lameness or broken teeth and horns, and after making sure of all these things, he started the process of jointing on its price until reaching the appropriate price, and then transporting it by car to the house and while driving on the road, it is necessary to pass through the fodder shops located in the square near that market in the center of Doha, where it is customary for the head of the family to buy the sacrifice several days before the Eid, keep it at home and feed it from the purchased fodder, while the children are waiting for their father to arrive at the house with the sacrifice, and as soon as the father arrives, the children’s faces are happy as they watch the sacrifice entering the house."