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Eid ul Adha is on or around the corner. I wish you all a safe, happy and fulfilling celebration with your family and friends.
All I ask is, please spare the poor goat or lamb or cow’s life. The purpose of sacrifice is to understand the spirit of parting with what you hold dear (your wealth), it is not some muqabla against four-legged animals.
Please pause and think … That, after all, is what religion should make us do rather than blindly following ritual.
According to the many organizations that will perform the sacrifice for you if you live abroad, the cost of one goat/sheep is US$ 160 in the US (that is more than one month’s salary for a college educated Pakistani professional). The price in Pakistan is cheaper, but not by much. Only the well wheeled can afford it. The Poor cannot even budget for a kilo of meat a month.
Is there a better way to ‘sacrifice’ the 150-200 dollars or the Rs. 10,000 or more in the name of Allah that is useful to His bandas? A way that captures the spirit of sacrifice that qurbani entails and helps us meet our religious obligation as well as the social welfare and redistribution that is its deeper purpose?
The Qur’an reminds us that Allah looks at intent not the blood. Maybe we too should pay heed to the intent of qurbani? For those who want to sacrifice this writer instead, please read Chapter 22, Verse 37 from the Holy Qur’an (I have looked at translations by Marmaduke, Yusufali, Asad and Usmani) and they all talk about your own devotion, piety, God-consciousness and taqwa that reaches Him.
The meat from the sacrificial animal is intended to be divided into three parts: 1/3rd each for your self, family and friends, and for the needy and the poor. I would suggest we fore go our share, and give the whole amount to the poor including poor relations. Charity and alms should be given throughout the year, and many people do. But with this added emphasis around Eid ul Adha I would suggest we consider giving more to the poor including poor relations.
Allah looks at intent not the blood. What better way to celebrate this Eid?
On my last visit I saw a lot of people drive up to a certain "hotel" (Pinglish for restaurant) and pay the owner X rupees to feed X number of hungry folks lined up outside. That is a noble idea. But would it not be better better to teach them to fish?
A manual sewing machine for a widow or unemployed poor woman? Tuition Fees or books for a poor student? Some money to ease the days for the unemployed people? A small monthly stipend to the poor that may bring a ray of hope in their lives and may perhaps deter them from abandoning their children to the fogs of terrorist factories?
We can think of many ways to make Him happy and spare the lamb. May Allah bless you and your family.
Note: This is based on an earlier post published on temporal’s blog Baithak.
I never commented on “the way slaughtering is done” in Pakistan. Islam and its obligations can not be criticized or denounced for the perceived or factual uncivilized practices of certain culture. On the same principle, would you recommend Zakat to be abolished outright keeping in view corrupt practices in Pakistan?
I have already given a number of authentic Ahaadith from Sahih Bukhari (with references) where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) visited Al-Baqee (graveyard in Madinah and Hajj is not performed in Madinah), then offered Eid prayers and then commanded the Muslims gathered on Eid prayers IN MADINAH to slaughter in the name of Almighty Allah.
I already have offered truce (:P) to Animal lover and so I do to everyone. You are free to criticise the way Muslims of today under-perform as a civilized society, only thing I request is, PLEASE dont distort or hide teachings and beliefs prescribed in Quran and Hadees.
“Apnaa aqeeda mat chhorro, kisi ka aqeeda mat chherro”
If many of us feel that this discussion should not be continued further, then so it be, its quite okay for me.
However, on my last note, let me say something in connection to Naan Haleem’s comments, which merit a
response from me.
Naan Haleem said
>>>I did not sacrifice that camel. I did not slaughter that camel. I was not present over there. I did not make the
video. I did not upload it. I did not post comment on it neither did i said “Enjoy”.
It is not the question of “this camel, or “that” camel. It is in regard to “the” camel, if at all you can understand it.
It is about all camels in general, in fact all innocent animals.
But I know either you do not understand the discussion, or you do not want to understand the issue.
You’re challenged Mr. Haleem, to take a round on the streets in Pakistan on the next Eid, and witness how
brutally the slaughters are actually performed in reality. There of course, you’re free to sacrifice a camel. You’re
free to slaughter a camel. You’re free to be present over there. You should shoot a video and post on the net as
well, and post a comment too. But, I’m sure, if you’re a human, you’d never say “enjoy” but would perhaps say
“lament”.
>>>The deeds of an unskilled butcher should not be taken as proof for declaring religious rituals as shameful.
I’d rather call those all merciless UN-ISLAMIC killers as shameless.
No Mr Haleem! You can not run away from your responsibility by saying that a butcher or two may do it wrong
way. As I challenged you, if anyone truthful enough, and undeceiving to Allah (pbuh) impartially judges this,he
would put this figure of uninformed butchers (who in practice act contrary to what and how the Prophet did!) to
not 1-2 % but 98-99%.
Yes, Mr Haleem! It is reality that the slaughters on the Eid day are not according to Islam.
I said you can not escape from your responsibility. Because, it is only because of Islamic interpreters like you,
and adnan and Yusha et. el., that such traditions are forced upon muslims and their children, and their
generations, and they are brainwashed to follow such rituals blindly, else they are not muslims.
Therefore, either you mend all your butchers to kill islamic way or if they can not, then they should not shoulder
the burden of blood-baths across the streets to make a mockery of Islamic traditions. Or if you can not, then such redundant, hard
to observe empty rituals should be abandoned altogether. But I am sure, this comment of mine would irk Mullahs
and skin trader community, who in the lust and desire of loads of meat , and a bribe of boties and haddies, just
not care what is the right Islamic way.
Please Mr Haleem and Company, do post your videos and experience next year. With your honest and truthful
ratings if 99% of sacrifices are not done according to spirit of Islam or not. And what punishment you order for
them?
Lastly, I read Mr. Animals Lovers’ and yours comments. Your interpretation of sacrifice is not correct. As Animal
Lover said, sacrifice is only a requirement during Hajj ( Remember animal has to go to Ancient Shrine!).
And an animal killed on the streets of Lahore or Karachi never goes to Ancient Shrine!!!)
I won’t argue any further, but please be better informed of religion, before you influence other readers’ mindsets on public domain or, in real life.
rather useless debate
@Naan Haleem: move on my friend. ZilHajj is over now. It’s Moharram now. Can we discuss the religious fanaticism officially exhibited by Shias in the month of Moharram? For instance this torture? Would Animal Lover(who probably be a Shia) shed light on this video?
http://tinyurl.com/359tk54
What a useless conversation this has become. Stubborn people talking past each other.
Can the two of you please let go of this. You have said your bit and neither is willing or able to see the others point. So why keep repeating it and becoming a nuscience for everyone else. Go your separate ways and do what you see fit!
Dear Najmul
I did not sacrifice that camel. I did not slaughter that camel. I was not present over there. I did not make the video. I did not upload it. I did not post comment on it neither did i said “Enjoy”.
The deeds of an unskilled butcher should not be taken as proof for declaring religious rituals as shameful. Did you care to call Americans “terrorists” when they killed civilians in Iraq with excuse of “incomplete information” or “friendly fire” or “lack of precision”?
Seriously, Sacrifice is not a matter of enjoyment, its obligation and must be done with an attitude of total submission to Allah rather than being funny about it.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Animal Lover…. you did exactly what i predicted…. lol….
You again avoided the Quranic verses and Ahaadith, I presented in response to your remarks like “animals are not for food” and “give me any Quranic verse or Hadith allowing slaughtering of animals on a particular day”.
I proved to you from Quran that Allah allows herbivorous animal to be slaughtered in His name and its meat be eaten and distributed among others (poor or not). {for reminder http://bit.ly/a28ua8}
Then I proved through a number of authentic Ahaadith from Sahih Bukhari that Allah’s Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ordered Muslims to slaughter animals on Eid ul Adha {for reminder see the bottom comment on http://bit.ly/fRKpfx}
Rather than accepting commands of Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), you have come up with a totally new topic – Kindness and mercy towards animals.
No question about it my dear. One must be kind and merciful towards animals. But one question arises: Should we keep umbrella inside the house all the time so it does not wear off due to rain or sunshine??? My point is we should be careful about our belongings but they have to be used for the purpose they are created. (Herbivorous) Animals are created as one source of food and till the time they are slaughtered, they should be taken care of but this does not imply that Allah forbids animals slaughtering.
Looks like you have run out of arguments so you have reproduced the text of a website propagating vegetarianism on the basis of selective references (like you did in the past) and which has already been proven false by our discussion on this blog.
Another big HAHAHA…. the website (www.submission.org) you present in support of your argument is infact announcing and propagating a NEW RELIGION named “Submission”. (look at the second para on their home page). My dear you can not bluff me: I took time to read the website even if you did not. They just wish to adopt the EASY ways of Islam and and present it as new face of secularism. Do you expect me to believe it in comparison to Quran and authentic Ahaadith from Sahih Bukhari?
Next you reproduced a complete article by someone like your own (again avoiding Quran and Hadith). I have already answered all the his question in our ATP discussion. Do you expect me to give my arguments on that blog as well???
The last webpage which which you advised me to read is again doing the same mistake (or clever deceit) you did, i.e. citing one or two verses WITHOUT CONTEXT. My dear, I have already given you sufficient reply of that here on ATP. {for reminder http://bit.ly/a28ua8}
I dont have personality clash, ego or any vendetta against you. I just presented Quran and Hadith in support of my argument. If you want to be vegetarian do as you like. You dont want to slaughter animals on Eid or otherwise, do as you like. You wish to love animals, do as you like. But please dont distort the facts. Do not give false or selective meanings to Allah’s commands.
I shall pray for Allah’s blessings upon you.