The Islamic religious year is highlighted by two major events that are enjoined by the Qur'an (the primary scripture of the Muslims) and that are celebrated all over the Muslim world. These are the 'Festival of the Breaking of the Fast' (commonly referred to as Eid al-Fitr or simply the 'Minor Eid') and the 'Festival of the Sacrifice' (commonly referred to as Eid al-Adha or simply the 'Major Eid'). Although the former is popularly known as the 'Minor Eid' it is celebrated with much more festivity and rejoicing than the 'Major Eid' due to the endurance of the month of fast that precedes it. The word 'Eid' is derived by the Arab lexicographers from the Arabic root word 'awd' and it means 'the (periodically) returning'. The two Eids rotate through the seasons of the solar year, since the Islamic calendar is based purely on the lunar cycle. The special ethos of both Eid days is characterised by remembrance of the less fortunate, demonstration of brotherhood, communal cohesion and paying respects to the deceased by visiting the graveyard.

The first festival is celebrated at the conclusion of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, the fasting month) on the first day of the next month, Shawwal. Special prayers and sermons are offered and alms (sadaqat al-fitr) are distributed to the poor. Eid al-Fitr is orientated on the family and the community. It is marked by invitations and visits from the extended family and friends. This festival is understood to be, in light of scripture, a divine favour upon the Muslims for enduring the challenges of the fasts of Ramadan, which were instituted in 2AH (after the hijrah or migration from Makkah to Madinah by the early Muslim community)/ 624CE. The fast is believed by Muslims to be an integral part of the teachings of all revealed religions. The month itself is particularly sacred for the Muslims because it is during this month that the Qur'anic revelations began.

The actual fast involves a total abstinence of one lunar months duration, between dawn and dusk, from eating any food, drinking any liquids and engaging in sexual activity. Certain categories of people are exempted, such as: sick persons, travellers, minors etc., such dispensations, however, are not irrevocable and as soon as material conditions permit, one is by Islamic Law required to accomplish his fast. The rigours of the fast vary according to the time of the year in which the month of Ramadan falls and the geographical latitude.

The month of Ramadan is a time of reflection and spiritual discipline. Abstinence from the above items, is understood to help develop self-control through awareness of Allah (i.e. God-consciousness, a concept known as taqwa in Islam), which is held to be the backbone of religious discipline in Islam. Ramadan also aids the appreciation of suffering of others who hunger and thirst as well as being a means of purifying the soul. The historical and the communal dimensions of Ramadan are manifested in the fact that each year, over the course of the month, the whole of the Qur'an is recited and heard in a special prayer known as the tarawih, just as it was received by the early Muslim community in Makkah and Madinah just over fourteen centuries ago.

Ramadan is therefore the month during which Muslims become acutely aware to seek God-consciousness, strive for the good, practice virtue and demonstrate piety. This mode of behaviour becomes the norm for the individual and for the Muslim community. It is also a deeply symbolic time: for a whole month adult Muslim men and women of all races, nationalities and ethnic identities join together in an experience of global unity, brotherhood and sisterhood.

The second festival, the 'Festival of Sacrifice' (commonly referred to as Eid al-Adha or simply the 'Major Eid') is celebrated on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah (the twelfth month of the Muslim lunar calendar) which also marks the end of the obligatory acts of the pilgrimage to Makkah (the Hajj). The Hajj is imposed as a duty on all adult Muslims, at least once in their lifetimes, subject to being free from physical and financial constraints. The Hajj proper takes place during the 7th - 12th of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah. On the 10th, known as Eid al-Adha, the sacrifice of an animal is offered. Simultaneously observed by Muslims all over the world, it commemorates the occasion when Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham (peace be upon him) was commanded to sacrifice his son, Ismail or Ishmael (peace be upon him) as a test of faith and a ram was substituted for him by Allah.

During the days of Hajj, a variety of ritual actions take place by which Muslims experience the underlying unity and equality of a world-wide Muslim community that transcends national, racial, economic and gender differences. This strengthens individual faith and identity with the universal community, thus promoting cohesion among Muslims. The Hajj is the largest annual convention of faith and greatest regular conference of peace known in the history of mankind. It serves to remind its participants and observers of the 'Grand Assembly' on the Day of judgement when people will stand equal before their Creator.

On the day of Eid al-Adha, Muslims all over the world sacrifice an animal, as indicated above, and distribute a proportion of the meat as charity. It is one of the most familiar and distinctive family traditions within the Muslim community which carries a deep significance. Animals are, of course, important in Islam. Like so much of the natural world, reference to them is made often in the Quran, where they are shown as a sign of God's marvellous handiwork, and His providential kindness to mankind. And in several famous Prophetic sayings Muslims are commanded to be kind to them. So important, in fact, is an animal's life that their slaughtering can only be carried out with God's permission, which is acknowledged by mentioning His sublime name at the moment of slaughter.

But animals are not just here to provide sustenance. As well as their practical function in God's design for our world, they symbolise nafs (the ego), the lower impulse within every one of us which draws us towards immediate and selfish pleasures. When we are impatient, it is because we are following the nafs rather than our minds. When we look away from a beggar, or towards a sparsely clad passer-by, it is because of the nafs. When we buy luxuries for ourselves instead of necessities for others it is because of the nafs. In short, the nafs is the satanic ambassador to the soul. A Prophetic saying indicates that the arch-enemy is the one within: "Your greatest enemy is the nafs which lies between your own flanks." Likewise the Muslim proverb: "Slaughter your nafs with the dagger of self-discipline". The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) set a symbolic precedent for this slaughtering. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in light of Quranic guidance made it incumbent upon the Muslim community to offer the sacrifice of an animal during Eid al-Adha likewise strive to annihilate the ego.

The tremendous submission of Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) provides a symbolic lesson for the Muslim community. Submission to God's will, which is the very meaning of Islam, is thus summed up in Prophet Ibrahim's momentous decision to offer his son as a sacrifice. This is so pivotally important that Muslims commemorate it not just on the Hajj, but every year at home. The sacrifice is infinitely more than a simple excuse for a sumptuous meal. It is a reminder of the serene submission to God, followed by His acceptance, which is the very essence of Islam.