On Thursday morning, worshipers in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and other cities countrywide joined the mass prayers of Eid al-Adha, one of the main holidays on the Islamic calendar.
In Tehran, the Eid prayers were performed at the University of Tehran and led by senior cleric Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami.
Many government and military officials were among the worshippers.
The festivity honors the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as an act of obedience to God’s command.
However, before he could sacrifice his son in the name of God, and because of his willingness to do so, God the Al-mighty provided him with a ram to sacrifice instead.
In commemoration of this intervention, animals are ritually sacrificed. Part of their meat is consumed by the family that offers the animal, while the rest of the meat is distributed among the poor and the needy.
Muslims worldwide mark the holiday by sacrificing livestock.
