Eid-ul-Adha better celebrated than Eid-ul-Fitr in Mombasa

Muslim faithful in Mombasa on Friday celebrated Eid-ul-Adha with aplomb, with some mosques failing to control the number of worshippers who turned up for prayers.

This year’s celebrations come in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with worship and social gatherings restricted.

However, the lifting of the cessation of movement in and out of Mombasa helped ensure these celebrations were better marked than Eid-ul-Fitr.

Eid-ul-Adha is considered the holier and more important of the two Eid  of Ramadhan.

Eid-ul-Adha, which must be observed at least once in one’s lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable, is the culmination of Hajj, an annual 10-day pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Mecca is considered the holiest city in the world.

Eid-ul-Adha honours the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ismael, as an act of obedience to God’s command.

In Mombasa, thousands of faithful turned up in different mosques.

Most of the mosques observed the strict Covid-19 regulations, with some of the worshippers who arrived late forced to pray outside.

Only 100 people are allowed in a mosque at a go.

On Thursday, the Mombasa county health department issued a warning over failure to adhere to the Health ministry Covid-19 directives.

“These guidelines have been issued in view of the heightened risk of Covid-19 infection posed by religious gatherings,” said county Public Health chief officer Aisha Abubakar.

Gathering in open public grounds was not permitted.

The usual grounds, including R. G Ngala, Tononoka, Bilima ground, Uwanja wa Mbuzi, did not see any gathering on Friday, contrary to the past when thousands would gather and pray.

At Masjid Musa in Majengo, Mvita constituency, only 100 people were allowed inside the mosque.

Masjid Hussein in Bamburi saw those who did not make the cut inside the mosque prayed outside it.

A mosque in Bamburi failed to control the crowds, who overwhelmed the sentries placed to control the numbers and entred.

More than double the required number worshipped inside the mosque.

Social distancing was non-existant.

Salim Nassor, a staunch Muslim, said those who cannot go for Hajj, get the same blessing by observing the Yaumul Arafat.

One can miss the other eight days of fasting but can get the blessing by fasting on the ninth day and then celebrate the 10th day, which is the Eid day.

“The Quran says if you observe the Yaumul Arafat, you will be forgiven your sins of the last year and those of the following year,” Salim Nassor, a faithful, told the Star.

Goat sellers said business was more than expected, with the current pandemic.

“Business everywhere has been down because of the corona [pandemic]. But we are pleasantly surprised sales have been more than what we expected,” Saidi Athumani, a goat seller at Memon area, said.

Ali Shekue said he sold ten goats since Monday, more than he expected.

Edited by EKibii