Adil Najam
I first saw this on Adnan Siddiqui’s blog a couple of days ago. I bookmarked it and planned to do a post of good lookin’ bakras closer to Eid-ul-Azha (or Bakra Eid). Over the last two days, however, I have received more than a dozen emails – including many from readers suggesting a post on this – that makes me wonder if I misread the significance of this phenomenon!
“What do we have for dinner tonight?”
“Laila’s kalaija. Or you can have Billo’s raan.”
I particularly like the ‘Bio Data’, and one day I hope to have one as impressive as this myself. I am especially intrigued by the ‘Menu of the Day,’ which can only be revealed to buyers; alas they do not mention the price, but I suspect it is in the range of Rs. 35,000+.
The website floating around in Pakistani circles right now is about ebakra.com, which is a service provided by Islamabad’s famous Qureshi Frozen Foods (which traditionally serves expatriate customers and others willing to pay premium price for high-quality, cleanliness and variety in meat products). The prices on the website right now are quite exhorbitant (I am told by bakra connoisseurs better versed in the dynamics of the bakra market than myself that the price being asked on this website is more than twice what you would otherwise pay for the best bakras).
As of now, there is no service for overseas Pakistanis or for Eid Qurbani, but they say they are planning something. Right now their service is for delivery in Islamabad and their current product line is limited only to dunbas (goats):
Here you can find animals of your choice, order it online and get the free delivery right at your doorstep. Rest assured that the health and safety standards are not compromised at any cost and we take every possible measure to make sure that our customers are satisfied with our services and products.
However, according to a Reuters report the Eid qurbani (sacrifice) market has now gone digital:
Religious organizations in Pakistan are using the Internet to help Muslims in Western countries buy and sacrifice animals for an annual festival.
… “It is not easy for [Muslims in Western countries] to buy animals and carry out the sacrifice according to our religious rites in those countries,” said Sohail Ahmed, an official at the Al-Khidmat trust Islamic welfare organization. “They are turning to the Internet to complete their religious obligations,” said Ahmed, whose organization offers the service.
In Pakistan, thousands of cows, goats, sheep and camels are sacrificed to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which this years falls in the first week of January.… Buying a sacrificial animal over the Internet is also becoming popular in Pakistan, said Farukh Sheikh of the Sahara trust for life. “It is a matter of convenience. People nowadays don’t have time to go to the markets and haggle over prices,” Sheikh said. “We are offering a service at competitive rates. People trust us to distribute the meat according to religious obligations among the poor and needy,” Sheikh said.
Most interesting, possibly disturbing, is this bit:
The Alamgir welfare trust also offers the option of viewing the sacrifice on its Web site. “We have a dedicated IP address and people can watch the sacrifice no matter which country they are in,” said organization official Shakeel Dehalvi.
The report says that “animals are available on the websites for between $100 (6,000 rupees) for a goat and $450 (27,000 rupees) for a cow.” Oddly, I could not find the websites of the organizations mentioned here; maybe I did not try hard enough.
I do wonder whether the ‘sacrifice’ we are making by parting with these large sums could be better spent on more worthy causes (Earthquake rehabilitation, maybe). After all, these enterprises (commercial and other) are buying these animals for less, charging us more, and using the rest as profit/surplus for something else. At what point, I wonder, does the spirit of ‘sacrifice’ become secondary to bragging rights of nabbing the best-looking bakra and watching its slaughter live over the Internet!
See last Eid’s posts on ATP Eid Greetings, Eid cards, Eid Poetry, Eid cake, having multiple Eids, Eid in films, and the meaning of Eid.
[quote post=”483″]That spirit is probably better fulfilled by giving the same amount of money to a really worthy cause rather than slaughtering an animal.[/quote]
I am afraid you are wrong here. AFAIK, there is no alternative of Qurbani if you can afford it. Yes if you want to help poors then give all gosht to poor families. In this way you would follow the Sunnah of Abraham[AS] as well and help the creatures of Allah.
Thanks for providing the links of actual websites of bakra/gyee selling. There were facilities of creditcard processing,Mobile stalls of McDondals,KFC etc and PCO at Sohrab Goth’s Bakra/Gayee Mandi. I havent visited this year yet but I hope things wouldn’t have changed much.
I agree that as a busines proposition this is a great idea. But as has been said a number of charity groups are doing this, including religious ones. Do they give the bakra for sadqa or qurbani at cost to them or do they keep a ‘profit’. As a charity, if they do the later what does that say about them? I also think that this qurbani think has become more of a ‘show’ and ritual and the real meaning of sacrifice is lost. That spirit is probably better fulfilled by giving the same amount of money to a really worthy cause rather than slaughtering an animal.
There are many things to do but in first we have to built our image in our own people, second it will be a good step, in begining of islam it was not condtion that the man buy it himself but animal was brought to kaba by others now if animals selling by internet are fulfilling the requirment for qurbani it is good.
I think Allah is not asking for blood and meat but asking pure belief in Allah.Requirment of good and sound animal is because Allah accepts qurbani like this in all way, mean if u are a father,or son,merchant,soldier,scholar or any one you must be sacrified your beloved things in the way of islam and Allah.Qurbani doesnt mean to bleed, terrorism and killing others, but mean to sacrifice yourself in the way of Allah as per the instruction of Allah.Everything mentioned in holy books and sahi hadith if you want to sacrifice in the way of Allah we should sacrified best otherwise it will not be accepted. Allah will never ask that what was the price of animal you sacrified but what was the felling of your heart at that time,and it was only for animal or anything else you sacrified in my way like that?
May Allah accept our qurbani and little in shape of big.
Infact there are many Sahara, the life trust of singer Abrarul Haq, also sells animals online.
http://www.saharaforlife.org/