Acting president of the Anjuman Sunnat ul Jamaat Association (ASJA) Imam Ahamad Hosein has renewed calls for Eid-ul-Adha to be declared a public holiday.He said the holiday was necessary for the ease and comfort of Muslims across the nation.Speaking with the Express yesterday, Hosein said he first made the call in 2023, and it was necessary to remind the authorities of the importance of this day.“One, thousands of Muslims from Trinidad and Tobago travel to the holy land to perform Hajj. Two, a school holiday is applied for through the Ministry of Education for all ASJA schools and, three, thousands of persons have to take the day off from their jobs in order to attend masjid and to do their animal sacrifices. Therefore, a holiday for Eid-ul-Adha is necessary for ease and comfort for Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago,” Hosein said.A memorandum dated April 16, 2026, from the Ministry of Education’s chief executive officer approved all 15 ASJA schools a holiday to observe Eid-ul-Adha today.These included ASJA’s two early childhood care and education (ECCE) centres, seven primary schools and six secondary schools.Normal school operations, it added, would continue tomorrow.Act of sacrificeHosein said Eid-ul-Adha, also known as “the festival of sacrifice”, is the second major celebration in Islam after Eid-ul-Fitr.The importance of the festival, he added, goes deeper than “just the ritual of slaughtering an animal”.“It is an act of complete submission to Allah Subhan­ahu wa Ta’ala (God Almighty),” Hosein continued.“Allah tested Abrahim by commanding him to sacrifice his beloved son. Both father and son submitted without hesitation, and just when the knife was about to cut the throat of his son, Allah replaced his son, Ishmail, with a ram,” he said.Quoting from the holy Qur’an 22:37, which says “neither their meat nor blood reaches Allah, rather it is your piety that reaches Him”, Hosein said the significance of the sacrifice is not the blood and the meat.Instead, he implored persons to ask themselves what they were willing to sacrifice or surrender for Allah.“Sacrificing our time, our pride, our comfort and desi­res for our Creator. True Eid comes when obedience to Allah outweighs everything else,” he added.He said Eid-ul-Adha connects every Muslim to Hajj.“Even if you are home and not in Makkah (Mecca), Eid-ul-Adha ties you to the millions of persons who tra­velled to the Holy Land. The most beloved days of Allah for good deeds are the days of Dhul Hajj. The fasting on Arafat and the sacrifice create a global sense of unity,” he explained.Hosein reminded persons that the qurbani meat has to be divided equally into three parts.“One third for your family, one third for relatives and friends, and one third for the poor and needy. Eid-ul-Adha reminds us that our celebra­tion is incomplete if our neighbour is left hungry.”The day of Eid-ul-Adha, he said, is a day to thank Allah for guidance, for his provision and for the opportunity to submit.“Remember that Eid-ul-Adha is not about the animal; it is about killing the ego, reviving submission, and sha­­ring the blessings. This is done yearly as a reminder that faith is tested in action and not just in words,” Hosein said.