What does the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha have to do with Christianity (and Judaism)?

If you are a Christian, then you probably remember the Old Testament Bible story from Genesis 22: 2-8 about God testing Abraham's obedience when he asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.  After Abraham binds Isaac to an alter, Gabriel, the angel of God, appears and tells him to stop and that he has proven his fear of God.  In the thickets a lamb appears and Abraham sacrifices it instead of his son.  The Lord then blesses him and says he will make Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars.  Later, in Exodus 12, God warns that he will pass through Egypt and strike down the firstborn of both people and animals to bring judgement on Egypt so that they will know he is the one true Lord.  He tells those who are faithful that they should buy a male lamb or goat, one without blemishes, and sacrifice it, marking their doors with its blood, then roast it and eat it - sharing what they can not eat with those who can not buy the meat.  The blood around the door will then signal to the Lord to pass by this house and not strike down their firstborn.

In Egypt this week, the streets are being prepared for the most holy of the Eid festivals.  Pronounced with a long i sound and a truncated short i sound, this is the Muslim "Festival of the Sacrifice".  It takes place this year from the evening of September 10 to the evening of September 11. Lambs, goats, and even bulls and camels fill the streets. Our friend, Mohamed, explained that families that can afford to buy a lamb (or other animal) will then sacrifice the animal on the street during this holiday.  The faithful who believe in the God of Abraham (called "Allah" by Muslims, "Yahweh" by Jews, and "Lord God" by Christians) then put their hands in the blood of the sacrificed animal and mark their doorways with it.  The meat is then given to the poor.* Mohamed explained that for many people, this is the only day all year when they are able to eat meat. Prior to coming to Egypt, we had heard that meat is very expensive and we had fully expected to eat primarily vegetable and rice dishes. We have been pleasantly surprised to be treated to some protein with every meal, but knowing that many only get to eat meat once per year makes us feel like perhaps we are being too spoiled. Egypt is a wonderful country, but it is also very poor.  One does not need to look far to see poverty - real, raw poverty.  Some people live without roofs or blankets.  People seeking medical treatment in the city often spend their nights on the streets because they can not afford to stay in the hospital.  The employment of individuals with disabilities does not happen, and they are often left to beg on the streets.  (To see what a class at Schutz is doing to try to help, check out this You-Tube video Boxes of Love from Schutz or Blanket Project - Schutz )

Once the sacrifice is complete, the person who bought the animal then delivers the meat personally to the poor.  This is face-to-face.  There is no "agency" that brings the meat around - the people of Muslim faith must meet with them and see and experience their poverty in order to present them with the meat. The need is real, they see it with their own eyes, they are forced to look into the eyes of those who are suffering.

You need to understand that having this many animals on the streets is not common the rest of the year.  These animals are being brought in from the farms and every block is being transformed with pens and tents and other enclosures to house these animals until they are sacrificed.  People line up to pick out their animals, which are then given an ear tag to show that they have been purchased.  For most, the purchase of an animal is a big financial sacrifice. (a lamb costs between $250-$350 USD) This is a city of 4 -6 million.  Every day more and more pens are being set up and more animals are being brought in to fill the need.  An American family stayed last year during the festival and were honored to be invited to a sacrifice.  They said it was quite an experience as they were told they were to sit very close to the animal - so close, in fact, that they were sprayed with its blood.  The streets literally run red with blood, and the smell is quite strong.  Some people even take the animals to the roof-tops to slaughter them. Most of the American teachers at Schutz make sure to plan a vacation outside of Egypt during this holiday as watching the actual slaughter of an animal is not something that most Americans have experienced, or want to experience. While we will be in Sweden this year during the holiday, we do think that we will stay for it next year.

*Wikipedia says that some families keep 1/3 of the meat, give 1/3 to neighbors and relatives, and give 1/3 to the poor.