Muslims in Rwanda celebrated this year’s festival of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, amidst a lockdown in Kigali City and eight other districts across the country.

The celebrations — typically marked by prayers and large social gatherings—came at the time the country has imposed tight Covid-19 restrictions.

This means that Muslims in some parts of Rwanda did not congregate for their communal prayers and celebrations as the country continues to battle the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19.

In his national message, Sheikh Salim Hitimana, the Mufti of Rwanda, urged the Muslims to be ambassadors of unity and love.

He delivered his message from Nyanza District where he joined fellow Muslims for prayers.  In Nyanza, religious gatherings are permitted albeit at 30 per cent of the capacity of the place of worship.     

"We encourage all Muslims not to celebrate blindly, but to remember that we are in the midst of a pandemic,” the Mufti said, underscoring that "We reminded them that they are not allowed to invite their neighbours for celebrations.”

 The pandemic is still rampant, he added.

"That’s why I encourage everyone to keep observing all health guidelines to avoid the spread of the virus.”

Traditionally, Eid al-Adha is marked by slaughtering of livestock and giving to the needy.

According to Sheikh Suleiman Mbarushimana, the Spokesperson of the Rwanda Muslims Council, who was at Nyabugogo slaughterhouse, over 600 cows are to be slaughtered for the occasion until Thursday. This is in addition to more than 1,000 goats and lambs for the occasion.

"Considering that some districts and Kigali City are under lockdown, meat was distributed house to house by a team of volunteers with regard to all Covid guidelines,” he added.

People speak out   

Nyamirambo, a popular Muslim neighbourhood in Kigali, was unusually a quiet place as most people were confined in their houses.

Only a few people were moving to and from shopping and very few shops were open, particularly those offering essential goods and products.

Kalim Hakizimana, 64, a resident at Nyamirambo, said that; "it is like we haven’t had Eid al-Adha celebrations for sure, because we are not allowed to go to mosques and we are not allowed to meet with our neighbours.”

He added: "We pray that God puts an end to this pandemic as soon as possible so that we can return to our normal ways,”

Rina Uwase, who was shopping at a boutique in Biryogo, said she was planning to pray and share a meal only with her family.

Valentine Nyirahabimana, a Christian who lives in Nyamirambo, told The New Times that before Covid, their Muslim friends would invite them for celebration but it couldn’t happen this year due to Covid and the lockdown.

"They would share with us everything on that day, everyone knows that,” she said.

 Eid-Al Adha explained

Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice is celebrated by Muslims all over the world as a major holiday for a period of three to four days.

The majority of Muslims will attend the special prayers held at different major mosques and Islamic centres

The Feast of Sacrifice dates from the historic event when Prophet Abraham was commanded by God, in a form of a vision, to sacrifice his son, Ishmail.

But while he was in the act of sacrificing his son, God sent Angel Gabriel with a huge ram. Gabriel informed Abraham that his dream vision was fulfilled and instructed him to sacrifice the ram as a ransom for his son. The story is mentioned in Chapter 37 of the Holy Qur'an.

Eid al-Adha enjoys special significance because the Day of Sacrifice marks the climax of the hajj pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam.

This annual pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia is an obligation only for those men and women who are physically and financially able to perform it once in their lifetime.