This year's celebrations for the Eid al-Adha festival have been affected by restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Under normal circumstances, Muslim families and friends would gather to pray together and share meals, but the pandemic has altered the way this Islamic tradition is observed.
In Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the “streets are empty, reflecting a shadow of its former self”, according to the country’s Standard newspaper.
“There are no groups of women and children moving about excited to buy new clothes and supplies for the festival,” the newspaper reports.
Many mosques in the country have suspended prayer meetings due to strict government orders to control the spread of the virus.
In Nigeria, which has the largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa, the police have asked people to “comply with the ban on all mass socio-religious gathering”.
Eid al-Adha, which means “Feast of the Sacrifice” in Arabic, remembers Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.
The World Health Organization has urged African governments to prohibit large gatherings associated with Eid rituals.
The Eid celebrations coincide with the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, where the number of pilgrims - usually around two million - has been limited to 10,000 this year.
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