Written by Teguh-san
How do moslems in Japan conduct their religious activities and celebrate their religious Great Festivals?
Eid Al Adha is the second religious Great Festival of which according to the lunar-based Islamic calendar falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. Apparently in Japan, according to the international calendar, this year it falls on the 5th of October 2014.
During the festival, moslems are commanded to perform Eid prayer in a large congregation followed by sacrificing animals, usually domestic animals such as goats, cows, camels and etc. The meat of the sacrificed animals is prepared to be distributed to the poor and needy.
According to the tradition of the festival, people usually serve various kinds of meat dish in their houses. Not only those who are prosperous, but also the poor may enjoy the feast that they deserve.
How about the Great Festival celebration in Osaka, Japan?
In Japan, the Eid Al Adha prayer is usually performed in masjid (read-Mosque) if the building is large enough to hold the congregation. However, due to the limited amount of masjid with limited area, most of moslem communities in Japan prefer holding the prayer in a conference hall, school buildings and/or other rentable places.
Precisely in Osaka, the Masjid of Ibaraki held the Eid Al Adha prayer in Korean International School. The school has been maintaining a very good relationship with the committee of the Masjid of Osaka, therefore, they allowed the moslems in Osaka to use a large part of the school area to perform the Eid Al Adha prayer. Despite of the Japanese moslems, there were also jamaat from all over the world, who are currently living in Japan, attend the prayer. Some of them came from Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Bangladesh, India, Australia, England and a lot more.
The moslems in Japan usually perform the animal sacrifice in their respective countries. They buy the animals back in their hometown and distribute the meat to the poor and needy in the region or even distribute them to other countries which are in need.
After performing the Eid Al Adha prayer, they will hold a gathering to maintain a good relationship with other moslems, and also to enjoy the Great Festival halal feast with friends and family. Below are pictures of the Indonesian citizens in a gathering to celebrate the Great Festival while enjoying the feast of mutton and other Indonesian dish, and also to enjoy Singapore halal product as prepared by Halal Media Japan.
