LONDON – The story of `Eid in the UK is as beautiful as it can be diverse, reflecting the growth and development of faith in an environment where Muslims are generally free to interpret their religion as they wish.
From the traditional benchmark prayers at Regents Park Mosque which follows a Saudi inspired salafi theology, to prayers at the first purpose-built mosque in the country in Woking which holds a South Asian barelvi inspired theology, to the more liberal movements such as the Inclusive Mosque Initiative in London who adopt an open door policy towards all and every interpretation of faith.
The celebration of `Eid is one where people wish to express their thanks and gratitude to Allah Almighty, in a way they feel to express their gratitude.
The origin of udhiyah – sacrificing an animal and having its meat distributed – stems partly from a time when eating meat was a luxury. So while there may be many food banks here in the UK tending to the needs of those with a lower income, the vast majority of Muslims consume meat on a regular basis.
Traditionally, many opt to have their animal sacrifice, their qurbani, performed abroad directly by family members or through a number of registered charities where the meat can be distributed to the poor in one of three ways depending on circumstance: fresh qurbanis, canned qurbanis, and frozen qurbanis.
Charity however always begins at home. The influx of Syrian refugees into Europe, specifically to the camps in Calais, France, has led many Muslim organizations and individual groups to expand the donation strategy to addressing those on our doorstep.
Efforts are being made to divert `Eid Al-Adha donations, be it the food from qurbani to general supplies, towards these refugees.
No Holiday
Sadly, `Eid isn’t a registered state holiday in the UK. So when it originally fell on September 11th, a Sunday, many Muslims were happy that perhaps it could have been a full day of celebration of visiting family and friends. Instead, on Monday 12th, most will attend just the morning prayers in the mosque before carrying on with their working day at their respective offices.
Many in the UK – and abroad – have voiced concerns that hajj – the pilgrimage and the subsequent celebration of `Eid was shifted by a day to the 12th, a Monday, to avoid falling on September 11th, which is of course the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
They cite similar concerns over Ramadan beginning a day ‘earlier’ when it was physically impossible to spot the moon in Arabia. Irrespective, most Muslims have opted to simply go with the flow.
Politics aside, `Eid is a celebration. One of the best reflections of what British Islam and how some British Muslims address `Eid can be heard in a short by Abdul-Rahman Malik, a London-based journalist, who spoke on BBC Radio 2:
“Dressed in modest white robes, setting aside most of their creature comforts, they will perform rites commemorating the life of Prophet Abraham and his family. I’m certain there’s a music you hear when you stand amongst the pilgrims, while it isn’t what I used to hear on that oldies station (Frankie Valli, Nina Simone), it is full of abundant optimism and love, it’s the music of voices raised in prayer, for mercy, for peace, for a better world…. It’s not so much about connecting to what’s new, but to borrow a line from you Frankie, it’s really about working our way back to what’s true.”