In Pictures

Photos: Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha

Millions of Muslims around the world celebrate the festival that marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Palestinians celebrate on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha — Palestinians celebrate on the first day of Eid al-Adha in Jerusalem [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

By News Agencies

Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha, a religious holiday which in Arabic means the “festival of the sacrifice”.

The festival marks the end of Hajj, the five-day pilgrimage Muslims undertake to Islam’s holiest city, Mecca, and surrounding areas of western Saudi Arabia to cleanse the soul of sins and instil a sense of equality and brotherhood.

Eid al-Adha commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s test of faith when he was commanded by God to sacrifice his son, Ismail.

The belief holds that God stayed his hand, sparing the boy and placing a ram in his place.

The day is marked with the sacrifice of an animal, usually a goat, sheep or cow, and the distribution of the meat among neighbours, family members and the poor.

Muslim children sit on a prayer mat after the great prayer on the first day of the Eid al-Adha — Children sit on a prayer mat after the prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. [Olympia De Maismont/AFP]

Young Muslim men prepare to slaughter an ox after Eid al-Adha prayers in Adjame, a district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. [Sia Kambou/AFP]

Muslims perform the morning prayer in the Libyan capital Tripoli — Muslims perform the morning prayer in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on the Eid el-Adha holiday. [Mahmud Turkia/AFP]

Thai Muslims gather to pray at a mosque during the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival in the southern province of Narathiwat. [Madaree Tohlala/AFP]

A Rohingya refugee girl living in Malaysia looks on as other slaughter a cow during the Eid al-Adha festival in Kuala Lumpur — A Rohingya refugee girl living in Malaysia looks on as people slaughter a cow during the Eid al-Adha festival in Kuala Lumpur. [Mohd Rasfan/AFP]

Muslims offer prayers during Eid al-Adha in Surabaya, east Java, Indonesia. [Juni Kriswanto/AFP]

Muslims gather to perform the morning prayer in Bab al-Hawa near the border with Turkey, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, on the Eid al-Adha holiday, — Muslims gather to perform the morning prayer on the first day Eid al-Adha holiday, in Bab al-Hawa near the border with Turkey, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. [Aaref Watad/AFP]

Muslims offer Eid al-Adha prayers at the Jama Masjid, in New Delhi, India. [Manish Swarup/AP Photo]

A Bangladeshi Muslim older man performs Eid al-Adha prayers at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, — An old Bangladeshi man performs Eid al-Adha prayers at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka. [Monirul Alam/EPA]

Muslim devotees offer Eid al-Adha prayers at Kashmiri Mosque in Kathmandu, Nepal. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]

Muslim faithfuls pray during Eid al-Adha celebrations at Mabushi in Abuja, Nigeria — Muslims pray during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Abuja, Nigeria. [Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters]

Muslims are seen after their prayers during the Eid al-Adha celebrations at the newly built Ali Jim'ale Mosque in Mogadishu — Muslims are seen after the prayers during the Eid al-Adha celebrations at the newly built Ali Jim'ale Mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia. [Feisal Omar/Reuters]

Afghan people pray on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Kabul. [Ali Khara/Reuters]

An imam gives a sermon for the Eid al-Adha prayer at Al-Nuri mosque in Mosul, Iraq — An imam gives a sermon for the Eid al-Adha prayer at Al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq. [Khalid Al-Mousily/Reuters]

Filipino Muslims gather outside the Blue Mosque after the morning prayer on Eid al-Adha, in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines — Filipino Muslims gather outside the Blue Mosque after the morning prayer on Eid al-Adha, in Taguig City, Metro Manila. [Lisa Marie David/Reuters]

Pakistani Muslims perform Eid al-Adha prayers on road side during Eid al-Adha in Karachi — Muslims perform Eid al-Adha prayers on roadside during Eid al-Adha in Karachi, Pakistan. [Shahzaib Akber/EPA]