Everything you always wanted to know about Eid but were afraid to ask

This story was originally published on Aug. 22, 2018.

Thousands of Muslims across Saskatchewan have gathered this week for prayers followed by parties and feasts. They're marking Eid al-Adha, the annual celebration marking the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca. 

Dr. Mateen Raazi is one of Saskatchewan's top anesthesiologists and a member of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan. In 2007, Dr. Raazi made the pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. He shared answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions about Eid.

The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

CBC: Are you supposed to say Happy Eid?

Dr. Raazi: Well that depends on how much you want to impress the other person. If you say "happy Eid," it's entirely acceptable. It's more than acceptable.

If you want to be a cognoscenti who understands the language and speaks the inside terminology, you say "Eid Mubarak."  Basically the connotation is the same, happy Eid, but it probably more accurately translates to "felicitations on Eid."

How do you pronounce Eid? 

It is "eed." Eid just means a feast, a celebration, or a festival. If you were to say "Eid" in the proper Arabic accent it comes from inside the throat, but "eed" is perfect. It rhymes with 'feed'. The one right now marks the end of the hajj, which rhymes with "fudge."

Why are there two Eids, and what's the difference?

Muslims are pampered this way. It's like we get two Christmases. So the first one is called Eid el-Fitr. That's the one to mark the end of the month of Ramadan, or fasting. The next one, it generally follows two months or so later. It marks the end of the pilgrimage or "hajj."

This is the big Eid, the largest annual religious gathering in modern times. There will be something like 2.4 million pilgrims gathering in Mecca this year, to mark Eid al-Adha.

It's a celebration of having passed a test or sacrifice, which prophet Abraham and his family did. And then we mark the occasion as such. The morning starts off with a prayer, and it's followed by meetings, greetings and socializing. And then multiple private celebrations in different homes and gatherings across the community. That's all marked with food, festivities, fun, family and friends. 

Why are the Eids so close together?

Islam observes the lunar calendar in setting its holidays. It's 10 to 11 days shorter than the solar calendar. That means Ramadan and Eid el-Fitr move slightly earlier every year. Two lunar months later, we celebrate Eid el-Fitr. They'll always be roughly sixty days apart.

How serious is this obligation to make the pilgrimage to Mecca? 

The basic obligation is for every adult Muslim man and woman of means — you shouldn't be bankrupting your family to do this. In the days when these rules were established, undertaking this journey was not only hazardous, it was extremely prohibitively expensive. 

These days we have all the modern conveniences and it is not all that onerous, but it does require arrangements and permission. You have to apply.

There are many more people who apply every year across the world to make the pilgrimage to Mecca than can be accommodated. The Saudi government sets the quota and it's a bit of a lottery as well. So if your name comes up and you get to go, you get a visa and you make the arrangements.

Have you done it? 

Yes, back in 2007. It's an experience I don't think I'll ever forget in my lifetime. Before getting there all men and women wear the same dress, basically these two broad pieces of white cloth. So everybody looks alike. And at some point you shave your head too, all the men do. So the impact of it is being one of a sea of humanity.

Once you get there, the enormity of the scale hits you.

For me the physical impact was palpable. I felt lost. And even emotionally a little bit scared. You don't know anybody. And coming from Saskatoon it's a very different experience.

After you get accustomed to that a little bit, you start making acquaintances. And I started to question myself, where's the spirituality in this? This is almost an exercise in survival. Then I realized it's stripping away the identity we self-impose — I'm a doctor, you hold this identity dear. That was stripped away.

Then it becomes more reflective, contemplative. For me, the spiritual growth that came with the experience, just recognizing this is a gift to me, to take a break from my usual expectations, and the usual way of thinking about life, I benefited from that. 

It's been more than 10 years and I think I've grown more insightful as a person. I'm more reflective about things that I do. I think before I speak more than I used to. And I'm not so full of myself anymore.