
Millions of Muslims are joining together around the world to celebrate the first day of the Islamic holiday Eid-al Adha.

The celebration, also known as the 'feast of sacrifice' commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim - also known as Abraham to Christians and Jews - to sacrifice his son before God stayed his hand.

During the three-day holiday - which begins today - Muslims slaughter livestock, distributing part of the meat to the poor.

Scroll down for video

Muslims walk along roads in Saudi Arabia as they head towards the holy city of Mecca to celebrate the first day of Eid al-Adha

A goat is tied to a pole in the Gaza Strip as children wait for it to be slaughtered as part of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha

A Palestinian man holds up his hands covered in blood as he celebrates Eid al-Adha - also known as the 'feast of sacrifice'

Palestinian men bring a cow into the street in Khan Younis on the Gaza Strip ready for it to be sacrificed for Eid al Adha

Eid al-Adha always begins on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, during the annual hajj pilgrimage

Eid al-Adha always begins on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, during the annual hajj pilgrimage.

In Saudi Arabia, more than two million Muslims descended on Mecca to celebrate the festival in one of the final rites of the hajj.

It seems them throw stones at pillars in what is viewed as symbolically stoning the devil.

In the Gaza Strip, cattle could be seen being dragged along the street before being slaughter and their meat cut up.

There were also similar scenes in Indonesia and Malaysia, as Muslim men slaughtered cows.

Indonesian Muslims carry a cow after it was slaughtered during celebrations for Eid al-Adha at the Jogokaryan mosque

Acehnese men prepare a cow for slaughter to celebrate the annual festival of Eid al-Adha in Banda Aceh, Indonesia today

A cat walks past by as Muslim women wait for the start of a morning prayer marking the Eid al-Adha holiday at Senen Market in Jakarta, Indonesia

Muslims pile on to a road and pray on a street during a morning prayer marking the Eid al-Adha holiday in Jakarta, Indonesia

Also celebrating were people in Afghanistan, where the violence between government forces and Islamist militants has intensifies.

But despite the fighting, Muslims still made it out on to the streets for the slaughter rituals after prayers.

In Beijing, hundreds of Muslims turned out at a mosque for prayers on the Islamic holiday while Filipino women snapped selfies before prayers in Manila.

Afghans offer Eid al-Adha prayers in Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, which is marking the holiday under a wave of violence

An Afghan girl rides on swings during the first day of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha in Kabul one of the holiest days in Islam

Afghan Muslims slaughter a sheep for sacrifice during the Islamic holiday which is also known as the 'festival of sacrifice'

Butchers cut up the cow's body and split the meat into three parts, with one of the parts being donated to the poor

Muslims in Iraq also celebrated the festival with one Iraqi shephard bringing a sheep to be slaughtered at a ceremony in Baghdad

Also marking Eid al-Adha was Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who made a rare public appearance at prayers in the town of Daraya, recently surrended by rebels.

State media showed the embattled leader attending the prayers at the Saad Bin Moaz mosque in the town outside Damascus, which was previously a rebel stronghold.

During the festival, families are encouraged to choose their best animals for the ritual, which harks back to the days of the Koran's prophets .

A small child stands among Muslim men as they attend prayers for Eid al-Adha festival at Niujie mosque in Beijing, China

Muslims pray outside a mosque during celebrations of Eid al-Adha, a feast celebrated by Muslims worldwide, which Muslims in Russia call Kurban-Bairamin

A Muslim family takes a selfie picture in front of the sea after the morning prayer to celebrate Eid al-Adha in Colombo, Sri Lanka

A man holds a child in the air as others pray the dawn Eid al-Adha prayers at Mustafa Mahmoud Square in Cairo, Egypt,

The Islamic holy book tells how Allah demanded that Ibrahim sacrifice his first son, Ishmael, in an act of subservience to his god.

According to the Koran, Ibrahim was wrought with indecision, but resolved to do Allah's bidding - and even put the dilemma to Ishmael himself, who said the right thing to do was slaughter him.

However, as Ibrahim slashed the throat of his son, he found that an angel had replaced Ishmael with a goat. The animal sacrifices still carried out today are meant to symbolise and celebrate Allah's act of mercy.

Filipinio Muslims attend morning prayers to celebrate Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) at Luneta Park in Manila, Philippines

One woman snaps a selfie after morning prayers in Manila before the traditional slaughter rituals begin in the country

epa05535878 Filipino Muslims attend morning prayers to celebrate Eid al-Adha on a street in Taguig City, south of Manila,

Cows, sheep and goats are the most usual animals which are taken to slaughter, but other livestock - including camels - also feature depending on the region. In Britain the ritual killings have to take place in a slaughterhouse.

Families are expected to sacrifice good-quality animals. There are no binding rules on what to do with the remains, but one tradition sees families divide the usable meat into three. One part they consume themselves, another goes to friends, and the final third is given to the poor.

The exact date of Eid al-Adha on the Western calendar changes every year - as the festivities coincide with the Hajj pilgrimage - which sees Muslims flock to the holy city of Mecca.

Kuwaiti security forces check Shiite Muslim men as they arrive to perform the morning prayer of the Eid al-Adha holiday at the al-Sadeq mosque in Kuwait city