By J. Zach Hollo

“Allahu Akbar (God is great), Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha Il-Allah! (There is no God but Allah),” chanted approximately 80 students who congregated for the fajr, or morning, prayer at 4:30 a.m. in the courtyard of the Qatar Foundation student residence halls yesterday.

The prayer was held outdoors to commemorate the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, a holiday celebrated by Muslims that happens during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. According to Islamic tradition, Eid Al-Adha celebrates the prophet Abraham’s consent to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael, after he is ordered to do so by God.

Eid Al-Adha is traditionally celebrated with family. But for international students remaining in Education City during the Fall break, it has been a time to come together as a community.

“[There’s] nothing like relatives … but it is still really nice with all the lads here,” said Abdullah Mohamed, a sophomore at Texas A&M University in Qatar. “[We have] time and space to pray and fast together and a [have] breather from school.”

The courtyard Fajr prayer was organized by Abdullah Namir Najjar, another sophomore at TAMU-Q and an active organizer in the student Muslim community in Education City.

“A week ago … I thought to myself ‘how can we really make this memorable?’ I loved the idea of the central courtyard [for holding the chant.] It represents unity among EC students,” said Najjar.

Najjar’s sentiments were shared by Noorulhuda Adamaney, a junior at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar: “Courtyard prayer for me was a wonderful experience as it gave us a chance to stand and meet as a community early in the morning, which gave it a more Eid-like feeling.”