The hajj at home Area Muslims observe Eid al-Adha

Muslims in Southeast Missouri gathered on Friday to mark the holiest of days for their faith. Akin to the Christmas celebration in the Christian tradition, Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, is the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar.

The day is symbolic of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. It comes at the conclusion of the hajj, a required pilgrimage to Mecca that is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith.

More than 2 million people went to Saudi Arabia this year for the pilgrimage, including one couple from Cape Girardeau. For those who stayed behind, the days after hajj are ones of reflection, prayer and fellowship.

Local Muslims gathered at the Islamic Center in Cape Girardeau for prayers at 9 a.m. Friday and then shared a meal together. Some came from Sikeston, Mo., others from Joplin, Mo., for the celebration. Young children ran about and played while their parents prayed -- women gathered on one side of the room and the men on the other, as is the Muslim custom.

Unlike the typical Friday mosque services, prayers were offered before the speech. The local mosque has no imam, or religious leader, so the men take turns studying scripture from the Quran and offering lessons. The day's lesson was about staying focused on the Quran and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad.

For Sahar Dorris, Eid al-Adha also marked a new beginning in her faith. She embraced the Islamic traditions after months of study and instruction.

Dorris, a native of Iran, was born a Muslim but never truly lived an appropriate Muslim lifestyle, she said. After the services Friday, she gathered with the other women in a circle for a shahadah, or confession of faith. She spoke in Arabic and proclaimed "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet."

"I called myself a Christian before I knew the core of Islam," she said. She studied other religions and "I think we are all striving for the same thing. We want to end up in heaven and follow God. The difference is who you follow but the core message is the same."

For Muslims, prayers are required five times a day -- at dawn, one at noon when the sun is overhead, one at midafternoon, one at sunset and one before bed. Charity also is a part of the faith, as is observing Ramadan, a month of fasting.

But the hajj doesn't require daily fasting as does Ramadan; any fasting is voluntary and decided by each person. In many countries, the Eid al-Adha is also a day of exchanging gifts. The children each received bags of candies and small toys, and many Muslim women brought gifts to share with Dorris.

Basically, the observances are the same everywhere in the Muslim world, said Manal el Karmi-Wadi. "It symbolizes the day of judgment when you meet God. Everyone is equal."

All the people making the pilgrimage to Mecca wear simple white clothes. "You can't tell whether they are rich or poor," she said. "You do this act of worship, and it's as if you are washed from all previous sin."

Observing Muslim holidays in Southeast Missouri is somewhat different because of work and school commitments. Many parents took their children out of school for the morning so that they could participate in the prayers and meal.

Because the trip to Mecca is so important in Islamic faith, "everyone is looking forward to this trip or making plans for when they are going to do it," el Karmi-Wadi said. "It's like Christmas is for everyone else."

The Islamic Center will hold a meal and festivities for children at 6 p.m. today. Prayers will be recited at 6:30 p.m. at the mosque.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126