Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, performed the Eid Al-Adha (feast of sacrifice) prayer on Monday at the Hassan II mosque in Tetouan.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid, Prince Moulay Ahmed, and Prince Moulay Ismail accompanied the monarch.
Thousands of citizens flooded the streets of the northern city of Tetouan to greet the king as he arrived and wish him a happy feast day and a long life.
The Sovereign reviewed a detachment of the Royal Guard who presented honors upon his arrival at the mosque.
After the prayer, the Imam delivered the feast sermon highlighting the importance of the tradition, which manifests unity, brotherhood, mutual assistance, and solidarity among Muslims.
The king slaughtered the first sheep and the mosque’s Imam slaughtered the second one.
The Head of Government, the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament; the deputy president of the Supreme Council of the Judicial Power; the First President of the Court of Cassation; the president of the Public Prosecutor’s Office; Attorney General of the King at the Court of Cassation; the dean of the Islamic diplomatic corps in Morocco; Ambassador of Cameroon; the presidents of constitutional bodies, and several high-ranking civilian and military personalities greeted the king, the Crown Prince, and the other royal family members.
Traditionally, once the King completes the ritual of sacrificing the sheep, Moroccans begin their own ritual sacrificial slaughter (whether a sheep, a cow or a goat) following Islamic rituals, followed by removing the animal’s skin and cutting the meat into portions.
The meat is then divided among family and relatives, and a portion given to the poor and needy. On the actual day of Eid, families visit each other and share meals, wearing their best new and traditional clothing.