President Sheikh Mohamed performed Eid Al Adha prayers at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on Friday, alongside other UAE leaders.
The Eid sermon addressed the value of sincerity, its concept and forms, and was titled Our Eid is Sincerity, state news agency Wam reported.
Dr Khalifa Al Dhaheri, chancellor of the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities, delivered the sermon and said a spiritual and national value holds deep relevance during Eid. A person should serve their homeland, family and community, he added.
The President was joined at the mosque by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed; Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed; and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Other senior officials included Sheikh Omar bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination; Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa, Adviser to the President; Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development Affairs and Martyrs' Families Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed; Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser to the President.
After the sermon, Sheikh Mohamed was joined by sheikhs to recite Al Fatiha for UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
In a message posted on X, Sheikh Mohamed said: "To my brothers, the Rulers of the Emirates, citizens and residents of the UAE, and Muslims around the world, I wish you a blessed Eid Al Adha and pray for God to grant lasting peace and harmony to all."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also issued an Eid message. "We congratulate the Arab and Islamic nation after the blessed Eid Al Adha and we say to the pilgrims of the House of Allah: May God accept your Hajj and make it an accepted Hajj. We ask God to bring this great occasion back to us and to you with blessings, goodness, prosperity and peace."
Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, performed Eid Al Adha prayers at Sharjah Mosque. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, performed Eid prayers at the emirate's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, while Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, performed Eid Al Adha prayers at the Grand Eid Prayer Ground in Khuzam.
Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, performed Eid Al Adha prayers at Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Mualla Mosque.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, performed Eid Al Adha prayers at Zabeel Grand Mosque.
What is Eid Al Adha?
Eid Al Adha, which means “festival of the sacrifice”, is the latter of the two Eid holidays celebrated across the Arab world, coming after Eid Al Fitr. Eid Al Adha commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim being asked by God in a dream to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a test of his faith.
As with other religious holidays in the Emirates, it is a time for friends and family to gather, often over meals, and reflect on their lives and faith. It is customary for families who have the means to have a goat or sheep slaughtered and share the meat with relatives and the less fortunate.
Employees in the public and private sectors have been granted leave from Thursday, June 5, to Sunday, June 8, to mark the holiday, with work to resume on Monday, June 9.
