Muslims in Saudia Arabia, Iran and across the globe are celebrating Eid-ul-Azha (Feast of Sacrifice), an important festival on the Islamic calendar which marks the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Some two million pilgrims carry out the final rites of the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

During the festivities, which fell on Friday this year, Muslims pay tribute to Prophet Ibrahim’s submission to the divine order of sacrificing his son, reports the Press TV.

Trying to perform the act of ultimate abnegation, Ibrahim, however, was sent a sheep through Archangel Gabriel to sacrifice instead.

Ibrahim’s obedience thus helped him pass the supreme test of subservience to God, and has been serving as an ageless model for the Muslim faithful.

Eid-ul-Azha is held at the end of the yearly Haj pilgrimage and marks Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son to God. Traditionally marked by the slaughter of animals, whose meat is shared with family members and the poor, it is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice.

The final days of Hajj coincide with the Eid-ul-Azha holiday, or "Feast of Sacrifice", to commemorate Ibrahim’s test of faith. For the holiday, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to the poor, reports aljazeera.com