Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the nation, celebrates Eid al Adha with a group of children in this archival photograph dated 1975.
Eid al Adha, the second and larger of the two Eids, begins after the completion of the Haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. This year, Eid al Adha was Tuesday. It commemorates the occasion, described in the Quran, when Allah demanded of the Prophet Abraham that he sacrifice his son Ishmael.
As proof of his love and surrender to Allah, Abraham agreed, but his hand was stopped by Allah, who saw how faithful his servant was. Instead, Abraham killed a ram as sacrifice to Allah. This is marked by Muslims today in the ritual killing of a cow, goat, sheep or camel. The meat is divided in three: one portion each to one's family, one's neighbour and the poor.
Time Frame is a series that opens a window into the nation's past. Each week it features an image from the archives of both prominent institutions and private collections. Readers are invited to make contributions to yourpics@thenational.ae
