Morocco cancels Eid Al Adha, the lamb festival, for the year 2025
In accordance with royal instructions, Morocco has officially canceled Eid Al Adha, the Islamic ritual sacrifice of livestock or the feast of the lamb, due to the six consecutive years of drought affecting the agricultural seasons in the country.
The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, broadcast the news of the cancellation of the religious festival to the Moroccan people on television, explaining that the decision had been taken in accordance with the instructions of King Mohammed VI.
The Moroccan sovereign invited Moroccans not to sacrifice this year, given the water situation in the Kingdom and the insufficiency of livestock that could meet the needs of this festival, taking into account the purchasing power of Moroccan citizens in this context of crisis.
Morocco has faced a series of challenges due to low rainfall, which is why it is adopting emergency measures to meet local needs.
As a result of these circumstances, the North African country has increased its imports of many products, including wheat, livestock and red meat. With six consecutive years of drought, the royal decision not to celebrate the Eid al-Adha ritual aims to alleviate the situation that represents a pressure for the citizen due to the insufficient number of livestock available, inflation and very high prices.
Mohammed VI urges abstention from the Eid Al Adha sacrifice
The King of Morocco has called on Moroccans to abstain from the Eid Al Adha sacrifice this year. In his capacity as Commander of the Faithful, he has addressed a message to the Moroccan people urging abstention from the Eid sacrifice.
The royal message was read on Wednesday, February 26, by the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, on the evening news program of the public channel “Al Aoula”.
“Taking into account that Eid Al Adha constitutes a confirmed sunna as far as possible, its realization in these difficult conditions is likely to harm large parts of our people, especially those with limited incomes,” said the royal message.
“In accordance with the content of the Koranic verse: And he has not imposed any difficulty on you in religion, we invite our dear people to abstain from performing the rite of the Eid sacrifice this year,” the monarch explained in his message to Moroccans.
The solution is to sacrifice two lambs, one for the King and the other for the people, as is clear in the message from Mohammed VI: “we will do it for God, in the name of our people, faithful to the sunna of our grandfather the prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, when he sacrificed two lambs saying: 'this one is for me, this other one is in the name of my Umma (nation)”.
Finally, the King urges Moroccans to celebrate the noble spiritual aspects of Eid Al Adha, by saying the Eid prayer in the mosques and giving thanks to God for his immense generosity.
