Cham Muslims celebrate Roya Haji with prayers in HCM City

During the Raya Idil Adha celebrations, Cham Muslims gather for solemn prayers, exchange New Year greetings, and take part in important sacrificial rituals.

From early morning on May 27, thousands of Cham Muslims dressed in their finest traditional attire gathered at Jamiul Anwar Mosque in Chanh Hung ward, Ho Chi Minh City, to perform the Sambahyang Raya prayer on the main day of Raya Idil Adha.

The occasion is one of the two most important religious festivals for Muslims worldwide. It commemorates Allah’s fulfillment of His covenant and the blessings and grace bestowed upon believers.

During the holiday, Cham families in Ho Chi Minh City spend time reuniting with relatives, visiting friends, and exchanging meaningful gifts. Children are given new clothes, while old garments are donated to the poor.

After about an hour of prayer rituals, worshippers exchanged handshakes and embraces as a gesture of greeting and forgiveness during the Roya Haji celebrations.

A particularly important part of the celebration is the Qurban or Aqiqah ritual, during which cows, sheep, and goats are sacrificed as offerings and the meat distributed throughout the community. The ritual symbolizes solidarity, happiness, and gratitude for the blessings Allah has bestowed over the past year.

Ab Dohalim, deputy head of the management board at Jamiul Anwar Mosque, said the centerpiece of the festival at the mosque is the sacrificial ceremony. According to Islamic teachings, every Muslim should perform the ritual at least once in their lifetime. Under religious rules, one goat corresponds to one individual offering, while one cow represents a shared offering among seven people.

This year, worshippers at Jamiul Anwar Mosque donated five cows, two goats, and one sheep for the sacrificial ceremony. Once completed, the meat is divided and distributed equally among members of the community regardless of wealth or status, reflecting the spirit of sharing and solidarity that has long characterized the Muslim community there.

Jamiul Anwar Mosque is home to the largest Muslim community in Ho Chi Minh City, with around 3,000 worshippers, most of them Cham people originally from Chau Doc in An Giang province who migrated to the city in the 1960s.