Houston Muslims will mark Eid al-Adha with celebration and sacrifice
Alief resident Susan Barrientos became a Muslim 20 years ago. But this year’s celebration of Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest days of the year in Islam, will look totally different for Barrientos and her family.
“Normally, we put lights up and decorate,” Barrientos said. “The day of Eid, we get everybody ready. We have breakfast; we pray. It’s toys for the kids and tons of visits.”
For a time, she held onto hope that this year would be the same as the past.
“We thought things would be OK by Eid,” Barrientos said. “We told our kids it would be normal.”
But as coronavirus cases continue to surge in Houston, Eid al-Adha will look completely different this July, much like Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr did earlier this year.
For Barrientos, this year’s holiday will be even more poignant. She overcame COVID-19 herself in June.
“Thankfully, I didn’t have to be hospitalized,” she said. “But it was definitely very scary because there are so many unknowns.”
Barrientos suffered from shortness of breath, chest pains and body aches. “Sometimes, it was such an intense pain that I couldn’t walk up the stairs,” she said.
She now tests negative for the coronavirus but remains especially cautious. Her six children and husband wear masks whenever they leave the house.
Barrientos explained that her family has dealt with so much, including facing the virus in their own home. The children had to completely change their school routines. Her high school senior missed prom and barely had a graduation ceremony.
“Everything has been on a lower scale,” Barrientos said. “With this upcoming Eid, we want to make the most of it. And we’re healthy now.”
Ketam Hamdan, a psychologist who lives in the Galleria area, also recovered from COVID-19 in June.
Her husband is an ER doctor, and her family, including three young children, quarantined until everyone felt better. Hamdan suffered body aches but felt better after a couple of weeks. Her husband was worse, struggling with upper respiratory problems.
Usually, Hamdan visits family on the East Coast for Eid alAdha. This will be the first time in the seven years she has lived in Houston that they will not be traveling anywhere.
For Eid, she plans to decorate her home and wrap presents for the children, to spend time remembering their pilgrimage as a family to Mecca before the world shut down.
“We wanted to reinforce that this is Eid, even though nothing in the world reflects it,” Hamdan said. “It’s forcing creativity.”
Sacrifice and faith
Barrientos does know that the story of Eid — a tale of sacrifice and absolute faith — is speaking to her now more than ever.
Eid al-Adha pays homage to Abraham or Ibrahim, a religious leader central to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. Muslims believe he and his son built the Kaaba, a square shrine in Mecca. All Muslims, if they are able, visit the Kaaba on their pilgrimage or “hajj” to the holy city.
Eid al-Adha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice,” commemorates the end of the month when the hajj takes place.
Since Islam follows a lunar calendar, the dates change each year. This year, the celebration begins Thursday evening, July 30.
The hajj was canceled this year because of the pandemic. The annual pilgrimage has been canceled before, for plague and cholera.
Still, all Muslims celebrate the spirit of going on the hajj during Eid al-Adha. They also focus on the story of Ibrahim, who was asked to sacrifice his son at
God’s direction.
Muslims believe Ishmael was the son involved in the ritual; it’s Isaac in the Judeo-Christian tradition. When Ibrahim carries out God’s commandment, he finds Ishmael replaced with a ram instead.
Part of Ibrahim’s story focuses on his wife Hajar or Hagar, who was left alone with her newborn in a barren valley, searching for water for her son. Like Ibrahim, she trusted God to help her find her way.
“You’re at the mercy of God,” Barrientos said. “That definitely rings true for me — feeling this helplessness with the virus, where even the doctors did not have answers, and feeling this fear for my kids.”
In addition to putting trust in God, Barrientos explained that Islam teaches followers to “tie your own camel.”
“Being responsible and having faith go hand in hand,” she said. “That’s something that has to be in the minds of Muslims.”
Creativity and Eid
Erum Chishty, who lives in The Woodlands, usually enjoys services hosted by mosques on the north side that come together to celebrate Eid at the nearby Waterway Marriott Hotel.
The rest of the day is usually spent house-hopping, visiting friends and family. “We meet with friends; we go to our inlaws in Sugar Land,” Chishty said. “We spend the day eating and exchanging gifts. It’s just a big holiday. We decorate, put up lights. It’s exciting.”
This year will be different, but Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr have prepared her family to look for new ways to celebrate. For example, during Ramadan, they created a designated space in their home to pray. Sometimes, they left meals at the door for a friend — and other times, they were surprised with gifts of food themselves.
“We were being more creative — and more conscientious,” Chishty said.
Online resources for spirituality and the use of technology to connect with family have been game-changers during social distancing.
Chishty is even finding ways to continue to practice charity, a key aspect of Eid al-Adha.
The 10 days leading up to Eid, or Dhu al-Hijjah, are meant to be dedicated to good deeds and prayer. Chishty is asking her four children to find ways to keep giving during lockdown.
“You can give just $10 for 10 days,” she said. “Or give $3. It’s never too little to give. It adds up.”
Chishty also works with the nonprofit Olive Branch Muslim Family Services, which provides for those in need during COVID-19.
Generally, as part of Eid alAdha, Muslim families will sacrifice a goat or sheep in observance of the holiday. One part is meant for the family, another part for a neighbor and the other for those in need.
Now, Chishty said, many families, including hers, are donating all of the meat to those in need.
And though praying in isolation may feel new, it isn’t really.
“They preferred to worship in isolation — the monks, Moses on the mountaintop, and our prophet even went to a cave to meditate,” she said. “Individuals can really gain strength in this moment of self-reflection and prayer.”
IslamInSpanish produced online programs specifically for the holiday. The nonprofit has used media production as an educational tool since it began in 2001.
During the pandemic, the organization’s founder, Imam Mujahid Fletcher, said more people are turning to the online platforms that he and other members of the nonprofit’s staff have created.
For instance, during Ramadan, IslamInSpanish served millions of people around the world by offering 17 online programs. There were even iftars, or evening meals to break the fast, on Zoom.
For the 10 days leading up to Eid al-Adha, IslamInSpanish created short videos on various topics. They will cover honoring parents, increasing charity and practicing acts of kindness. The videos are in English and Spanish. All of the services the organization offers are at no cost.
“Eid is the culmination of these 10 days,” IslamInSpanish operation director Alex Gutierrez said. “Obviously, we’re not getting together physically, but we’re still connecting online.”
There will also be a virtual iftar. “We’ll all gather on Zoom, break bread virtually and still have that community vibe,” Fletcher added.
Since the pandemic started, IslamInSpanish has hosted weekly live question and answer sessions. “People come from all over the world to ask questions,” Fletcher said.
An expression of love
Imam Abdullah Rasheed, with southeast Houston’s Masjid Warithuddeen Mohammed, said that Eid al-Adha is an expression of love, a willingness to always sacrifice for the sake of God.
“This is definitely an unprecedented time,” he said.
At the mosque, Rasheed is planning a virtual lecture and prayer, as well as a possible drive-thru event for Eid.
“At home, we will still say a prayer and dress up,” he said. “We will keep up the festivities for the children. We’ve been restricted, but we’ve become creative.”
Rasheed fields calls from the congregation asking how to honor Eid during COVID-19. He sees members posting photos on social media as they decorate their homes and hang lights to get in the spirit.
Hamdan said a number of her clients are facing increased anxiety and depression. As a therapist, she sees value in finding wisdom during a trying time.
For instance, the pandemic has caused families to spend more time together. Individuals are scaling back on material consumption and focusing on what matters.
“This is a form of trauma,” she said. “If you find wisdom in what’s happened, you’ll come out a better person.”
There’s a term for this — posttraumatic growth, a transformation that can follow adversity, Hamdan added.
Rasheed said there are several ways to learn and grow during this time.
He points to what the Quran says about the sacrifice: “Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.”
“We usually take meat to those in need,” Rasheed said. “But that’s just a symbol, a symbol of service to God.”
At this time, he asks members to focus on those who have lost their jobs or who may be isolated without family. “Reach out to these people,” he said. “Sacrifice some of your time. Sacrifice some of your finances.”
Spend more time in devotion, prayer and learning the Quran, Rasheed added. “It’s an opportunity for self-reflection and introspection.’
Eid is all about community — joining together in the spirit of faith.
“During this time, faith is needed more than ever because there’s so much uncertainty,” Rasheed said. “We have to depend on faith right now and rely on God to get us through this time.”
“We wanted to reinforce that this is Eid, even though nothing in the world reflects it. It’s forcing creativity.” Ketam Hamdan