Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha around the world (PHOTOS)
A Pakistani youth stands with a goat at a livestock market in Quetta on October 23, 2012 ahead of the Muslim sacrificial festival of Eid al-Adha.
Muslims around the world marked the beginning of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, on Friday.
Eid al-Adha is one of the most auspicious festivals in the Islamic calendar, when Muslims honor Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his first-born son Ishmael as an act of devotion to God, before God intervened and provided him with a ram to sacrifice instead.
Livestock ranging from sheep to cows are sacrificed in commemoration of the festival, which also coincides with the annual Hajj, when millions gather in Saudi Arabia to conduct the holy pilgrimage.
"Despite cultural differences in countries around the globe, the basic essence and goodwill that lies at the heart of Eid Al Adha remain the same," noted UAE newspaper The Khaleej Times.
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