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HARI RAYA HAJI IN MALAYSIA

Many, especially the non-Muslims, wonder what exactly Hari Raya Hai is, why there

are two Hari Rayas and why Hari Raya Hai is important enou!h to "e o"ser#ed as a

pu"lic holiday$ I% you are in the dar& or ha#e always wondered "ut not "othered

enou!h to 'oo!le why, read on %or a (crash course) on Hari Raya Hai *also &nown as

Hari Raya Aidiladha+$

 raditionally, any Muslim who does not ha#e any nancial or physical constraints is

re.uired to ma&e a trip at least once in their li%etime to the holy city o% Mecca, Saudi

Ara"ia, %or the ha pil!rima!e e#ent$ A%ter the pil!rima!e, the title o% (hai) will "e

!i#en to the men and (haah) to the women$ he day Hari Raya Hai is cele"rated

mar&s the end o% the pil!rima!e, indicatin! that Hari Raya Hai is indeed a %esti#al

and a day to cele"rate those who ha#e #isited the holy city and completed their

pil!rima!e$

/urin! the Ha period, tens o% thousands o% Muslims swarm the holy city o% Mecca to

per%orm specic rituals, one o% which is wal&in! counter-cloc&wise se#en times

around the 0a)a"ah, which is a cu"e-shaped structure co#ered with a "lac& cloth

that sym"oli1es the Muslim prayer direction$ /e#otees also &iss the "lac& stone atthe corner o% 0a)a"ah, mo#e "ac& and %orth "etween Al-Sa%e and Al-Marway, drin&

%rom the 2am 2am well, stand at Mount Ara%ar, throw stones, sha#e their heads and

lastly, sacrice an animal "e%ore concludin! the rituals o% Hari Raya Hai$

 he sacrice slau!hterin! doesn)t only ta&e place in Mecca "ut at almost e#ery

mos.ue in the country$ he sacrice typically ta&es place at around 33a$m$ until

noon$ he sacrice o% an animal is done to honour 4rophet I"rahim)s willin!ness to

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sacrice his son, Ismail, as a si!n o% respect to the 'od$ he child)s li%e was spared

at the #ery last moment when 'od too& Ismail)s place and !a#e$

Korban *5slau!hter6+ will only "e per%ormed "y a male de#otee$ 7sually, cows will

"e slau!htered "ut at times, !oats are sacriced as well$ Indi#iduals or %amilies who

can a8ord to contri"ute an animal will purchase one and donate it to the mos.ue9 at

times e#en the state !o#ernment contri"utes too$ o minimi1e the su8erin! o% the

animal, the slau!hterin! process is done swi%tly$ A prayer is made durin! thesacrice9 it is "elie#ed that toxins will "e eliminated %rom the animal upon recital o%

the prayers$ A portion o% the meat is &ept %or the %amily while the others are

distri"uted to the local community, especially to those in need$

:hile Hari Raya Aidiltri is cele"rated on a !rander scale with new clothes, coo&ies

and delicacies, Hari Raya Hai is a .uieter a8air cele"rated to commemorate the

sacrices made "y the prophet$