The Feast of Sacrifice will be observed under strict respect of the Covid-19 restrictions in Cameroon, especially in the major cities. This is to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as this year’s festival is being celebrated Tuesday, 20 July.
In Urban areas like Yaounde, stringent precautionary measures have been taken “The Grand Imam will lead the prayers from 8:00 am. It means that security will already be there from 5:00 am, they will occupy the different entrances” Cheikh Abdoullah Atangana, Imam at the Tsinga Islamic Complex, Yaounde.
“State security officers will join the personnel of the Mosque to maintain order. No one will be allowed access into the Mosque without their mask on and a prayer mat. The faithful will also find a place already set up where they can clean their hands properly before fully accessing the Mosque” Cheikh Abdoullah.
The Eid al-Adha which is one of the most important feasts in Islam, is a day on which the faithful commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael, (Isaac) in submission to Allah’s command.
Tradition requires that each family slaughters a ram, with a third of it going to friends and relatives while the other third goes to the poor and needy.