Muslims celebrate Eid as hajj pilgrimage nears end

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslims around the world celebrated the start of Islam’s biggest holiday on Saturday as more than 2 million pilgrims took part in one of the final rites of the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, commemorates what Muslims believe was Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail — the Biblical Ishmael, though Christians and Jews believe his other son Isaac was the near-sacrifice — as a test of his faith from God. In the end, he is provided with a sheep to sacrifice instead.