Al-Ma’rawi congratulated the President on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, which honors the willingness of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his promised son Ishmael as an act of submission to God’s command, before God then intervened to provide Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice instead.

President al-Assad also received congratulations from Minister of Justice Najm Hamad al-Ahmad, Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed and Grand Mufti of the Republic Ahmad Badr-Eddin Hassoun.