Gym

A tough shoulder workout today. However it is the last for a week. 

We have the long Eid al-Adha public holiday from Thursday until next Tuesday.

Eid al-Adha. 'Feast of the Sacrifice', is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year (the other being Eid al-Fitr), and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God's command. But, before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this intervention, an animal, usually a sheep, is sacrificed ritually and divided into three parts. One share is given to the poor and needy, another is kept for home, and the third is given to relatives. In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, and lasts for three days. 

The Hajj  is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims. Making the pilgrimage at least once is one of the Five Pillars of Islam - the five obligations that every Muslim, who is in good health and can afford it, must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life, according to Islam.

Muslims may also undertake an Umrah, or "lesser pilgrimage" to Mecca at other times of the year. But this is not a substitute for the Hajj and Muslims are still obligated to perform the Hajj at some other point in their lifetime.

In June 2020, while not cancelling the Hajj outright, the Saudi Government announced that they would only welcome "very limited numbers" of pilgrims [10 thousand this year compared to over 2 million normally] who are residents of Saudi Arabia due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

All the scholars are unanimous that Eid Ul Adha is on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah which is determined by the sighting in each locality, and not on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah in Makkah, and the two events are not connected

Here's wishing you and your family peace, harmony, happiness, good health and prosperity on the auspicious occasion of Eid. Eid al-Adha Mubarak to you and everyone at home.