Muslims celebrate faith, unity at MetLife for Eid al-Adha
EAST RUTHERFORD − For the first time since 2019, thousands of Muslims gathered to celebrate Eid al-Adha at MetLife Stadium, standing shoulder to shoulder in a show of unity and prayer on Saturday.
The faithful traveled from across the tri-state area to attend, giving what some participants described as a feeling of a pilgrimage as they journeyed to a single location to worship together.
“The strength and the value of the Muslim community is so clear to see at this event,” said Khaja Khateeb, chairman of the Eid Committee of New Jersey, the association of mosques that organized the event. “It’s about unity. That’s the reason we have this.”
Known as Feast of the Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son for God. The story is shared by Christian and Jewish faiths, who view the prophet as the patriarch of their faiths.
The Eid Committee distributed 16,000 free tickets via Ticketmaster for the two morning services at MetLife − an event that had been suspended the last two Eid al-Adha holidays due to COVID.
The crowds, who gathered on prayer rugs spread across the field, reflected the diversity of Islam as members of different racial groups and ethnicities with roots in nations across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In the U.S., about 3.5 million people are Muslim, according to the Pew Research Center.
“As an Algerian Muslim and an American, I feel I am part of a community. I’m very glad to be able to celebrate prayer with my brothers and sisters from all over the world,” said Asma Bennour of Palisades, who attended with a friend from New York.
During the holiday, Muslims visit relatives and exchange gifts and food. After Eid prayers, Shadath Shahid of Wayne said he planned to visit a farm in Morris County to select goats for qurbani, the practice of animal slaughter during Eid to commemorate Ibrahim’s own sacrifice. Per tradition, meat is shared with the family, friends and the poor.
“It’s an amazing day for us,” said Shahid. “Religion brings us together.”
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For many, praying on the floor where football teams and music giants perform brought a level of excitement, especially for young people, said Mohammed Sadiq, president of the Eid Committee. At a time when people are falling away from faith, he hoped events like this could help them feel more connected.
At the stadium, excitement was on display as people paused for photos with MetLife signs behind them and recorded video to be shared on social media.
Samar Makhalfa, of Old Bridge, who arrived early with her husband and children, ages 11, 6 and 8 months, captured the scene on her phone as they entered. She panned her camera across a setting of families wearing vibrant traditional gowns, smiling and embracing one another with greetings of "Eid Mubarak," or happy Eid.
“It’s very important for them to have the feeling of being among Muslims,” said Makhalfa, speaking about her children. “It’s not easy to feel that on other days. It’s an opportunity to show that, as Muslims, we are all together. We are one community. We pray the same.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Eid al-Adha: Muslims gather for prayers at MetLife Stadium
