Do Muslims Only Live in the Middle East? Eid al-Adha celebrations and Hajj prove the point that Islam is a World Religion.

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha marks the Muslim “Festival of Sacrifice,” and commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son to God. Muslims everywhere celebrate by slaughtering animals to commemorate God’s gift of a ram to substitute for Abraham’s son, and distribute the meat among family, friends, and the poor. Eid al-Adha takes place immediately after the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that is one of the pillars of Islamic faith. Some 2.5 million faithful Muslims from all over the world visit Mecca each year. The pictures that follow record these celebrations for the 2009 festivities.

Muslim pilgrims at the Kaaba in Mecca

The Kaaba at the Hajj.

Muslims Pray at Mecca

Who are Muslims? 1. Where do Muslims come from? (At least one nation). Answer the following questions on the worksheet you receive in full sentences. Leave space for notes and additions to your original answers. 1. Where do Muslims come from? (At least one nation). 2. What are their numbers? (Give an estimate, to the best of your ability). 3. Do they all wear the same clothes, and eat the same foods? Describe. 4. Make a list of commonalities you see on the slides.

A Muslim boy in Kuala Lumpur

A Palestinian Muslim with prayer beads waits at an Egyptian Border.

A Kashmiri sells delicacies in India before Eid al-Adha

In Jakarta, Indonesia a Muslim mother fixes her child’s headscarf.

Emir of Kano, Nigeria, Muslim leader of 14 million

A Muslim family in Kano, Nigeria

Muslims pray in Wuxhong, China

Sheep marked for a festival market

Women pray in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Kyrgzystan Muslim Men Pray.

Muslims Pray on the street in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

In Malaysia Muslim men butcher a sheep for Eid al-Adhu.

In Bulgaria a cow is slaughtered.

Muslims take part in the “Stoning of the Devil” at Mecca.

“Stoning of the Devil”–Muslims throw stones at a pillar symbolizing the devil.

In Bangladesh Muslims return home from the cities to celebrate Eid al-Ahda

Through a Buffalo’s Eye, Muslims in Bangladesh prepare for Eid al-Ahda.

In Damascas, Syria sweets for Eid al-Ahda are displayed.

The Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque & Burial Site, Medina, Saudi Arabia

Muslim men pray on a Riyadh Street in Saudi Arabia

The dome for the Strasburg Grand Mosque is lowered, Strasburg, France

Amman, Jordan – Sheep wait to be sold for the feast.

Noor Hill overlooks Mecca.

Mecca before the Hajj

Major Islamic Populations by Country (Sunni = green, Shi’a = Blue)

Fascinating Facts Roughly 1 in 4 people in the world are Muslims. There are more Muslims in Germany than in Lebanon and more in China than in Syria. About 62 % of the world’s Muslims live in Asia. Most Muslims are Sunni (87-90%), while most of the remainder (10-13%) are Shi'a.

Review 1.Where do Muslims come from? (At least one nation). You could have written: the Middle East, or any of the Middle Eastern countries, or any of the countries of Africa, or Asia or any place in the world, including, yes, the United States. Islam is a world religion, currently the fastest growing religion in the world.

Review 2. What are their numbers? (Give an estimate, to the best of your ability). Islam is the second largest world religion (right after Christianity). About one-fourth of the world’s population follows Islam, with a total of more than 1.57 billion adherents. About 50 nations have a Muslim majority. The single largest Muslim population is found in Indonesia.

Review 3. Do they all wear the same clothes, and eat the same foods? Describe. No, Muslims dress in a variety of ways (although women in general cover their heads and men carry prayer beads) and eat a variety of foods, while generally following the same religious rules about food (for instance, no pork).

Review 4. Make a list of commonalities you see on the slides They take their shoes off when they pray. They try to go on Hajj during their lives. They share meat with family, friends and the poor. They pray with their hands cupped upward. They pray in public and outside. Men and women seem to be often separated in prayer.

Tucson Islamic Center