Cuckoo's Cafe

There are two words for Lahoris on Eid: Cuckoo's Café. You know all the facts - the food is great, the Badshahi Mosque lit up at night is one of the most beautiful and calming sights ever, and getting a table on Eid will be a chore and a half! So make reservations now, and feed your tummies on everything from buttery daal to maghaz, and feed your mind as you walk up to the café and catch glimpses of Iqbal Hussein's paintings. And have a wonderful Eid!

Dine out

Eid is also the time to dine out, with friends and family. While the first day usually means most restaurants will be closed, come second day and it's all up and running. In these cool, breezy winters, nothing can top having a steak, especially if it's in open air.

Café Flo is one place to definitely consider. Its perfect ambience, great service, happy servers and the food is excellent, especially steaks. Their juicy and done as you like them.

And if you're not into steaks, go for Italian at Pompeii. The pastas are as good as it gets and now that Pompeii has moved to a bigger, better venue at Shapes studio, have a penne pasta (with extra cheese) under the open sky.

A safe option is Barbeque To-nite but the place is always packed with people. So if you're looking for an intimate dinner, it is not the place for you. However, their food, especially chickenginger and the tikkas are delectable.

Drive up those hills

Eid-ul- Azha brings with it endless supply of meat that can last all year long. This year fortunately the Eid has fallen in the cooler months. Hence one way you can make use of tons of meat is by having a barbecue.

Make it more exciting by calling your friends and family or better yet take everybody to a beach BBQ (if you live in Karachi). The pleasant weather will make even daylight barbecue fun. Order parathas or nan, and make spicy chutni and raita to go with it.
If you live in and around Islamabad, what better way to celebrate a very cold Eid-ul-Azha than a drive up to Pir Suhawa? Not only will driving up the quiet hills be a treat, the bird's eye view of the city from Pir Suhawa will take your breath away. A great view is not all the peak has to offer, succulent kebabs, tikkas and piping hot parathas eaten around your own little fire will make up for the cold and then some.

Not feeling quite as adventurous? Meet adventure halfway and visit Hotspot on Haunted Hill. Enjoy the yummy homemade Hotspot ice cream, or drown the boredom caused by never-ending family visits in a steaming mug of coffee!

For a cozy little border crossing, eat at one of the Kabuli Restaurants. They serve up the best kebabs ever, and Afghani pulao is always a break from the regular mutton biryani that will be served literally everywhere this Eid.

Wondering how to spend these

Eid-ul- Azha brings with it endless supply of meat that can last all year long. This year fortunately the Eid has fallen in the cooler months. Hence one way you can make use of tons of meat is by having a barbecue.

Make it more exciting by calling your friends and family or better yet take everybody to a beach BBQ (if you live in Karachi). The pleasant weather will make even daylight barbecue fun. Order parathas or nan, and make spicy chutni and raita to go with it.
No menu is complete without biryani. This Eid give chicken biryani a break and make mutton or beef biryani or if that is too much to do, then order it. And if you are a total briyani freak in Karachi you can go to Biryani Centre, Students Biryani or Premier Biryani. And if biryani alone doesn't do for you then there is nihari, kata kat, lever and bheja fry and leg roast.
One reason why Eid-ul-Azha is such a welcome this year is because it gives one four full days of holiday. No work, no school and lots to celebrate make these days a welcome.

But if you're not someone who enjoys home-cooked meals on holidays or if you're not a fan of meat, home delivery is just the way to go.

For desi food, go for Karachi Haleem. It's simply the best haleem in town and comes in chicken as well as beef, giving you a nice, hot choice. Plus, its extremely affordable too!

And if that doesn't work for you, then there are umpteen places to order food from... on this long holiday.

Pizza Hut, McDonalds and KFC are the easiest and the most efficient places to order from.

Animal sacrifices continue on Eid second day

KARACHI: The Muslim faithfuls are offering animal sacrifices also on the second day of the Eidul Adha across the country.

Many people are used to sacrifice animals on the second day of Eid; such people say that on the first day of the Eid, butchers do not manage to heed to properly making the sacrificial meat, accordingly, they prefer sacrifice on the second day, so that they can have the meat slashed as per their wishes.

A large number of animals are being sacrificed today on the second day of the Eid especially camels and cows are being sacrificed with many children looking on all around.

Meantime, the City Government has made arrangements to remove the offal and clean the city. Yesterday, the sanitation condition around the city seemed well and the City Government staff continued to pick up viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal all day.

Sunnis mark Eid in Iraq with optimism

BAGHDAD - Sunni Muslims marked the beginning of the Eid al-Adha holiday Wednesday, with thousands of worshippers gathering in mosques around Baghdad in an atmosphere of optimism after months of declining violence.

More than 10,000 faithful came to the Abu Hanifa mosque in the Sunni-dominated neighborhood of Azamiyah at sunrise to perform the first prayers for the four-day holiday. Locals said they felt safer during the Eid this year, but security was still increased at mosques and other holy sites around the Iraqi capital, with extra bomb-detecting equipment added. Extra security also was ordered for amusement parks and other places likely to draw crowds.

"This Eid differs from the previous ones, as we have received unexpected numbers of worshippers," said Jamal al-Kubaisi, imam of Abu Hanifa, the biggest Sunni mosque in the Iraqi capital.
He said there were so many people at the mosque that they spilled over into the backyard of the mosque and into the streets.

Al-Kubaisi stayed away from politics in delivering his sermon, instead saying he wanted to focus on the positive developments of late.

"I am so optimistic this Eid, and I wanted to avoid talking about politics so as not to bother people while I see happiness on their faces," he said. "This means that ordinary life has turned back to Azamiyah."

Annual hajj pilgrimage begins in Saudi Arabia

MECCA, Saudi Arabia - Millions of Muslims from around the world gathered in Mecca Sunday for the start of the annual Islamic hajj pilgrimage, as the Saudi Interior Ministry announced tough security precautions.

Men and women draped in white robes circled the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, seven times in a ceremony anticipating the official start of the pilgrimage on Monday.

King Abdullah has invited 1,000 guests to this year's hajj, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Over the next two days, an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims will move out of Mecca to Mount Arafat for Tuesday's climax of symbolically stoning the devil.

Massive gathering
By Friday, more than 1.6 million pilgrims had arrived in Mecca, according to the Central Hajj Committee. The Health Ministry said about 254 pilgrims, many who were elderly, have died of natural causes since arriving.

The pilgrims are massed in tent cities on the outskirts of Mecca. For many believers, the hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to cleanse their sins in what is one of the most important rites for Muslims.

This year's hajj takes place amid increasing worries across the Islamic world over the bloodshed in Iraq and Afghanistan and recent terror attacks by al-Qaida-linked groups, including last week's twin suicide bombings in Algeria that killed at least 37 people.

Tensions also have increased between the two main sects of Islam, Sunnis and Shiites, who come together in the five days of hajj rituals centered around Mecca, the traditional birthplace of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries — who are all U.S. allies — have been worried over Iran's increasing regional influence. But the king's invitation to Ahmadinejad appeared to reflect a readiness from Saudi Arabia, a majority Sunni country, to reach out to its Shiite-dominated neighbor. It comes about a week after the a U.S. intelligence report said Iran had ended a nuclear weapons program four years ago.

Eid-ul-Adhia

Eid-ul-Adhia is a festival that is celebrated on the 10th of Dhul Hijja and marks the close of the Hajj ceremony or Pilgrimage to the Ka'aba.

A Muslim is required to perform the pilgrimage at least once in his lifetime, provided that he can afford the cost of the journey, is not indebted to anyone and is not otherwise prevented from performing the Haj. Those who unable to perform the pilgrimage join in the Eid-ul-Adhia ceremony at their own places.

The Eid is celebrated with great solemnity and reverence everywhere. Like Eid-ul-Fitr, Muslims make preparations several days before the festival. The animals to be sacrificed are bought well before the Eid day by those who can afford to do so. These animal should be free from all physical defects and should be fully grown. In case of sheep, goat or lamb, one animal suffices for one household, while a cow or a camel can be shared by upto seven families.

On the day of the Eid, Muslims assemble in the Eid-gah or in the large mosques of the town for Eid Prayer Service. The Eid Prayer is comprised of two Raka'as and offered in the same manner as Eid-ul-Fitr. Generally no breakfast is served on this Eid, and those who offer sacrifice do not eat anything until after they have sacrificed the animal. After the prayer the Imam delivers a sermon in which he explains the significance of the festival, giving the details of the sacrifices offered by Abraham, his wife Hager and their son Ishmael. Returning by a different route and singing the praise of Almighty Allah, Muslim worshippers return home and slaughter their animals. On Eid day, Muslims recite the praise of Allah in the following words:

Allah ho Akbar, Allah ho Akbar
La illaha illa Allah, wa Allah ho Akbar, Allah ho Akbar
wa Lillah hil Hamd

Introduction to Islam

The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) 1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the earlier scriptures.

The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim’s other beliefs are: God’s angels, previously revealed Books of God, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of Judgement and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek God’s pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His nearness. Islam’s main message is to worship God and to treat all God’s creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal and have stood the test of time.

In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature that are lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage patience and politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and complete code for the guidance of individuals and communities alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived from the Holy Quran and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it is immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may appear rigid to the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable way of life regardless of human changes.

Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all. Any individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to God through sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing a relationship with the Almighty. This positive message for humanity fills hearts with hope and courage.

At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form the majority in more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world - its beautiful message is reaching millions in the far corner of the earth.