Idul Adha a time for giving:

Idul Adha a time for giving:

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla attended Thursday the Idul Adha prayer at Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta, where the sermon called on Indonesians to apply the spirit of sacrifice toward achieving prosperity nationwide.
"Idul Adha should be valued as a moment to start developing a sense of sharing, giving and tolerance. Not only in Indonesia, but also among all humans in the world, because those values are the essence of Idul Adha," said Azhar Arsyad, rector of Alauddin State Islamic University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, who delivered the sermon in Jakarta.

"We also need to use the holiday as a moment for evaluating our journey in this life. Have we already become a person who can give and share without expecting anything from the receivers?"
The Idul Adha prayer at Istiqlal Mosque, which started at 7 a.m., was also attended by numerous ministers, government officials and several ambassadors.
After the prayer, the President and Vice President presented two cows to the mosque's officials for sacrifice. Several state officials also handed over livestock to Istiqlal Mosque to be sacrificed.

During Idul Adha, goats, sheep and cattle are sacrificed in commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail to God. The meat from the sacrificial animals is then distributed to the poor.