Thousands expected to attend Eid al-Adha prayers in Birmingham’s Small Heath Park

The date for Eid al-Adha has been announced and Birmingham Muslims plan to mark the celebration with prayer services and festivities being held outdoors in Small Heath Park on Sunday 11th August.

The inner-city park will be prepared ahead of the prayer on Sunday to cater for over 100,000 worshippers, as part of all-day celebrations including a family funfair, stalls, speeches and special children’s activities.

Organisers have said the event is open to all communities and everyone is welcome to attend and take part, observe, or enjoy the festivities.

The exact date of Eid al-Adha changes every year depending on the sighting of the moon, as the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle.

The festival remembers the story of Ibrahim’s (Abraham) sacrifice when God appeared to him in a vision and asked him to sacrifice his son Isma’il (Ishmael) as an act of obedience. The celebrations begin two days after the start of the Hajj.

In Birmingham, both the Green Lane Masjid and Birmingham Central Mosque will be hosting special Eid prayer services on Sunday morning.

Green Lane Masjid will be joining forces with several other local mosques to host its increasingly popular ‘Celebrate Eid’ outdoor event, which has had an increased turnout in the thousands year upon year.

Eid al-Adha follows Eid al-Fitr which took place in June and marked at the end of Ramadan.

Also known as ‘The Festival of Sacrifice’ or informally ‘Big Eid,’ the festival on Sunday marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage – one of the five pillars of Islam – and is regarded as the more prominent of the two Eids.

Only one service will be held in the park, with an aim to begin at 9.30am. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, from 7.30am, to allow for plenty of time to find a comfortable space on the park grounds.

If the weather is unsettled on the day, Green Lane Masjid and fellow mosques will move their services indoors. If this is the case, announcements will be made on the joint Celebrate Eid website.

Meanwhile, Birmingham Central Mosque in Highgate will be holding five Eid services – one on the hour, every hour – between 7am and 11am.