Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 6 (ANI): Lucknow Eidgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, on Friday, appealed to the Muslim community to pray for the safety and security of the country and the Army personnel ahead of the Eid-al-Adha festival on June 7.

Speaking with ANI, Maulana Mahali also urged the Community to follow the 12-point advisory issued ahead of the sacred festival.

'Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on June 7. In this regard, the Islamic Centre of India has issued a 12-point advisory in which Muslims are asked not to sacrifice animals forbidden by the law. During sacrifice, hygiene should be maintained. The blood of the animal should not be disposed of in any public place,' he said.

'While offering a sacrifice, no photos or videos should be taken or uploaded to social media. We have also appealed to the Muslim community to also pray for the safety and security of our country and the Army personnel,' the Lucknow Eidgah Imam said.

On June 2, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali issued a comprehensive 12-point advisory to ensure the festival is observed with hygiene, respect, and social responsibility.

Speaking to ANI, Mahali said, 'A 12-point advisory has been issued for Eid-Ul-Adha, where Muslims are advised that while performing the ritual of sacrifice, please maintain hygiene and cleanliness. The ritual should be done on designated spots, not on roadsides or streets.'

He further stressed that the blood of the sacrificed animal should not be shed into drains but buried in raw soil so it acts as fertiliser for plants.

'The blood should not be shed in the drains. It should be buried in raw soil so that it acts as a fertiliser for plants,' he told.

The Imam also requested that no videos or photos of the sacrificial ritual be taken or uploaded to social media.

The holy festival of Eid al-Adha, also known as the 'festival of sacrifice' or Greater Eid, is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar.

Eid al-Adha is the second Islamic festival of the year and follows Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. The date changes every year, as it's based on the Islamic lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Western 365-day Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God.

Eid al-Adha is called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat or 'bakri'. It is a festival that is celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in India. (ANI)