What Is Eid al-Adha (Aidiladha)? Meaning, Hajj and the Sacrifice

Aidiladha is the Malay name for Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice. It falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, while the Hajj pilgrimage is under way in Makkah, and it honors the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to give up what he loved most at God's command.

It is the second of Islam's two Eids and is often called the Greater Eid. This guide explains the name, the story behind it, how it connects to Hajj and the Day of Arafah, and when it is expected in the coming years.

What is Aidiladha? Names and the meaning of Adha

Eid al-Adha is written عيد الأضحى in Arabic and pronounced roughly eed al-ad-ha. Eid means festival. Adha comes from the Arabic word for a sacrificial animal (udhiyah), so the name means the festival of the sacrifice.

The same day has many names. In Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei it is Hari Raya Aidiladha or Hari Raya Haji, the great day of the Hajj, which is why people search for it as Eid Hajj. In South Asia it is Eid ul-Adha, Eid ul-Azha or Bakra Eid, and the sacrifice is called Qurbani. In Turkey it is Kurban Bayrami. Eid Adha is simply the short form.

It is called the Greater Eid (al-Eid al-Kabir) because it lasts longer than Eid al-Fitr and falls in the days of Hajj. A hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud calls the day of sacrifice the greatest day in God's sight.

Why do Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha?

Eid al-Adha recalls a test faced by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). The Quran tells how Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his son, told the boy, and was answered: do as you are commanded; you will find me, God willing, among the steadfast. When both had submitted, God ransomed the son with a great sacrifice (Quran 37:102-107). The Quran does not name the son in this passage; the mainstream Muslim understanding is that he was Ismail (Ishmael).

The sacrifice Muslims offer on Eid repeats the ransom, not the test. The Quran is explicit about what matters in it: the meat and blood do not reach God, but the piety of the person offering does (Quran 22:37).

So Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha to remember that obedience and trust, to give thanks, and to share food with people who rarely have meat.

Eid ul-Adha and Hajj: how they fit together

Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, takes place from the 8th to the 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah. Eid al-Adha falls in the middle of it. On the 10th, pilgrims stone the pillar at Mina, offer their sacrifice, shave or trim their hair and return to the Kaaba. Muslims everywhere else pray the Eid prayer and offer their own sacrifice on the same day.

You do not have to be on Hajj to celebrate Eid al-Adha. It is the way the rest of the Muslim world takes part in the pilgrimage's central day.

The Day of Arafah and the Arafat holiday

The day before Eid, 9 Dhul Hijjah, is the Day of Arafah. Pilgrims spend it standing in prayer on the plain of Arafat outside Makkah, which is the essential rite of Hajj. Muslims who are not on Hajj are encouraged to fast that day; in a hadith in Sahih Muslim the Prophet said he hoped the fast of Arafah would atone for the sins of the previous year and the coming one.

Arafat Day is also a public holiday in some countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where it leads straight into the Eid break. That is what the term Arafat holiday usually refers to.

How Eid al-Adha is observed

The day follows a clear order, and it lasts longer than Eid al-Fitr: the 10th of Dhul Hijjah is followed by three more days, the 11th, 12th and 13th, known as the days of tashreeq, which a hadith in Sahih Muslim calls days of eating and drinking.

• Takbeer is recited through the first days of Dhul Hijjah and after each daily prayer over Eid. The wording is in our Eid takbeer guide.
• The Eid prayer is held soon after sunrise, and it is customary not to eat until after it. See how the Eid prayer is performed.
• The sacrifice comes after the prayer, never before. A sheep or goat is offered for one household; a cow or camel can be shared by up to seven people.
• The meat is shared. The Quran says to eat from it and feed the poor (22:28), and a common practice is to divide it in three: for the household, for relatives and neighbors, and for people in need.
• People greet each other with Eid Mubarak, visit family and give gifts. See Eid greetings.

Is the sacrifice obligatory?

Scholars differ. The majority, including the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools, hold that the sacrifice is a confirmed sunnah for those who can afford it. The Hanafi school holds that it is obligatory on every adult who has the means. The window for offering it runs from after the Eid prayer through the following two or three days, depending on the school.

Many Muslims in the West pay an organization to carry out the sacrifice where meat is scarce. We do not issue rulings; for your own obligation and how to fulfill it, follow your scholar or mosque.

When is Eid al-Adha? 2026, 2027 and 2028

Eid al-Adha is always 10 Dhul Hijjah, but because the Islamic calendar is lunar it moves about 10 or 11 days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar. The month starts with the sighting of the crescent, so the date is confirmed about ten days ahead, and countries can differ by a day.

• 2026: Wednesday, May 27, with the Day of Arafah on Tuesday, May 26.
• 2027: expected Sunday, May 16 or Monday, May 17, according to the UAE's astronomy center.
• 2028: expected around Friday, May 5, with the Day of Arafah around Thursday, May 4, based on calendar calculation. This is an estimate and may shift by a day with the moon sighting.

Eid al-Adha in Gaza, and sharing the feast

Eid al-Adha is the festival where meat is meant to reach those who cannot buy it. In Gaza the need is of a different order. UN News reported on 29 May 2026 that nearly the entire population remained displaced as families prepared for Eid, and the UN human rights office recorded people killed over the holiday itself.

Fight for Palestine funds food parcels and hot meals, clean water, medical aid and shelter items in Gaza through local partner teams. If the meaning of this Eid matters to you, you can give to food assistance, read about food aid in Gaza, give Sadaqah or donate where it is most needed.

For how this festival compares with the one after Ramadan, see Eid al-Fitr vs Eid al-Adha.