to glorify and praise God together as a group

A Muslim leader said the gathering allowed for

A street outside Lakemba Mosque was closed for hours to


Tens of thousands of Muslims have gathered at Lakemba Mosque in Sydney to honour a man's willingness to sacrifice his only son in God's name.

Muslim residents caused road closures outside Lakemba Mosque, in Sydney's south-west, as they participated in the Eid Al Adha prayer, which marks the end of the annual pilgrimage or Hajj to the Saudi holy city of Mecca.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 men and women were pictured standing stoically on prayer mats laid across Wangee Road, which was closed between 5am and 9am, with sounds of prayers echoing through the streets as an Imam lead the service from inside the mosque.

Scroll down for video

Thousands of devoted Muslims have gathered in the streets of Western Sydney to honour a man's willingness to sacrifice his only son in God's name

Muslim residents caused road closures outside Lakemba mosque as they participated in the Eid Al Adha prayer, which marks the end of the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca

A police spokespersons said the single road was closed for around four hours, with extra police deployed to direct traffic around Punchbowl Road during the service.

Men and women mingled outside the mosque before and after prayer time, however they were segregated as they offered their Eid Al Adha prayer.

Muslim community spokesperson Keysar Trad, who led prayers in Zetland, south of Sydney's CBD, said the celebrations were one of the biggest events in the Islamic calendar and marked the breaking of a nine day fast.

'The Eid Al Adha prayer has an additional prayer and a sermon - the rest of the time you are supposed to glorify and praise God together,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Men and women mingled outside the mosque before and after prayer time, however they were segregated as they offered their Eid Al Adha prayer

Some gathered in a nearby rugby ground (pictured) to offer their Eid Al Adha prayer

The men stood in neat rows and bowed their heads as an Imam lead the sermon

They knelt on prayer mats during the service which is one of the biggest in the Islamic calendar

'Many people would have been fasting for the last nine days between the break of dawn and sunset,' he added.

He said his sermon touched on examples about the prophet Ibrahim who was willing to sacrifice his only son at God's request.

The celebration is observed internationally, with pictures of Filipino Muslims at Luneta Park in Manila emerging that show women offering their prayers to commemorate Ibrahim's faith.

The women were seen in head scarves bowing on prayer mats behind a barbed wire fence outside the Blue Mosque, some with young children laying or praying beside them.

Animals were slaughtered and split into three parts during the 'Feast of the Sacrifice', with worshippers honouring tradition by offering one portion to their family, one to friends and another for the poor or needy.

The celebration, also known as the 'Feast of the Sacrifice', is observed internationally (Pictured: Women in Manila)

Thousands gathered at the Blue Mosque in Taguig city, east of Manila, in the Philippines, on Monday morning

A young child suckles on a bottle of milk as his mother kneels beside worshippers at Eid al-Adha in the Philippines

The women were seen in head scarves bowing on prayer mats behind a barbed wire fence, some with young children laying or praying beside them

Many children were seen participating in the service which makes the holies of the two Muslim annual holidays

A woman uses her smart phone to take a 'selfie' after attending the morning prayers near Manila

A Muslim spokesperson said his sermon touched on examples about the prophet Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his only son at God's request

The service was projected on to a large screen so the Imam's instructions were visible to worshippers outside the mosque

Mr Trad said between 20 and 30 thousand worshippers travelled to Lakemba Mosque (pictured) for the event

Volunteers offered to help clean the space on Sunday before the sacred prayers took place

The sun shone down on worshippers who gathered early Monday morning

Police stand watch as thousands of Chinese worshippers line the streets in preparation for the Eid Al-Adha prayer

A woman in Shanghai with a lace veil over her head holds her phone to her ear before the sacred annual prayer commences

Chinese Muslims sit in neat rows as a police dog circles worshippers on a street outside a mosque in Shanghai

Three Indonesian Muslims use their prayer mats to shelter from the rain as they arrive for morning prayers to mark Eid al-Adha on the sand-dunes of Parangkusumo beach, in Yogyakarta, on the island of Java

Many women in Yogyakarta wore crisp white veils for the occasion which is one of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide

Worshippers are required to place their hands over their ears during the Eid al-Adha prayer, which differs from the daily routine

Men and women on the sand dunes of Parangkusumo are separated as they offer their prayer during Eid al-Adha

Acehnese men stand beside a reflective pool of water as they lay out their mats in preparation for prayers at Blang Padang Park, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Thousands gathered at Malang, the second largest city in East Java, Indonesia for Eid al-Adha or 'the feast of sacrifice'

Indonesian Muslims bow their heads during prayer in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, as a balloon floats in the crowd

The women are dressed in modest veils, many choosing to wear white, during the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha

Technology and tradition meet in Blang Padang Park, Indonesia, as women take 'selfies' to commemorate the occasion

A mosque in Jakarta is inundated with devoted worshippers who have risen early to pray for the end of fasting

A child peeks through the railings from an upper level of Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia

The sheer volume of worshippers could not be contained and some must line up on adjoining road to take part in the prayer

Women and men are divided as they take the time to glorify God as a group on the holiday of Eid Al-Adha

Worshippers observing the holiday also sacrifice animals and distribute meat to the poor during the sacred day

A cat bolts past the line of people as they sit on mats during the Eid al-Adha holiday at Jakarta's Senen Market in Indonesia

Muslims can be seen crossing their arms across their navel - which is a part of the practice during Eid al-Adha

Controversial figure Salim Mehajer posted a pictured outside Lakemba Mosque on Monday morning, offering his followers wishes of 'Eid mubarak' - which is a traditional Muslim greeting that means 'blessed celebration' in Arabic.

He posted an image reading from the Quran to his Instagram account on Sunday.

'Whist the pilgrims go to Arafat from Mina, for the most important part of the Hajj; we sit back and try to redeem the importance of this day,' he wrote.

Controversial figure Salim Mehajer posted a pictured outside Lakemba mosque (pictured) on Monday morning, offering his followers wishes of 'Eid mubarak' - a traditional Muslim greeting that means 'blessed celebration' in Arabic