Adil Najam
Last year we posted a rather disturbing video that might have been titled the ‘revenge of the cow’; if you did not see it, it may be worth watching again. Our bhains video this year is more docile but equaly though-provoking.
This is a Geo News report from Bakra Mandi, Walton, Lahore. Rs. 10 lakh (Rs. 1,000,000), Rs. 6 lakh (Rs. 600,000) for a cow and the bargaining goes on. “Babar” is a fine specimen for sure – wighing 35 mun, 4 year old, and drinking 10 kilo milk and eating 1o kilo of fodder a day it is being offered for Rs. 10 lakh (Rs. one million).
Is this a story about inflation? Or is it about showing off? And how does it connect with the spirit of sacrifice and sharing that the qurbani is supposed to be about? If the purpose of qurbani is sacrifice and helping the poor might it not be better to just take that money and distribute to the really needed who might find the case more helpful than a fine piece of steak? I understand the importance of ritual in any social and belief system. But the spirit of the ritual should count for more than its mechanics. No?
Rahim Khan
It is perhaps the silliest way of sacrifice adopted as a ritual by Muslims. Ibrahim, the prophet, had tried to slaughter his son, Ismail, in response to a dream seen by him but Allah saved him and substituted the boy with a sheep as the story in Islamic literature goes. But the poor sheep had no god to save her and so she and her offspring are being slaughtered and eaten to this day by humans and that to with so much relish and show of religiosity.
Why apologize dear Rahim; the article you quoted is quite related both to Ismail’s and our times. The time then was as lawless and the god as choosy as today, rather worse. A man who preaches moderation and enlightenment but makes a show of his religiosity as a political stunt is treating us like ‘bakras’ today. Unfortunately the ‘bakras’ have neither any rights nor any god to protect them like the god of Ismaeel which saved him. So prayers of us ‘bakras’ or those of our mothers are all vain and a ritual in futility. Of coarse we can be sure of heaven which lies under the feet of our mothers in any way.
I fully agree with the remarks of Naveed Ejaz particulary when he says, ” —— the real purpose of Qurbani is sacrifice something that is very close to you for the will of God. Obviously it is not possible to establish a bond with an animal that was bought just a couple of days before eid. The animal should be reared and taken care of for sometime before it should be offered. ”
I have a personal experience of one such Qurbani. When I was young my parents bought a beautiful Bakra for Qurbani well ahead of Eid ul Azha. It was a beautiful Bakra and had a plume of curly hairs on his fore head. It was very playful and became my pet for next 6 months or so. And then Eid ul Azha arrived and this Bakra, my pet, was slaughtered despite my vigorous protestations. Many decades have passed but I still remember how sad I was on that particulr Eid. Since that day I have been reluctant to perform this ritual.
Now this incident does have some corelation with my not doing Qurbani but there are other reasons for it as well.
I think Qurbani is ok as part of various rituals of Haj. But carrying out of this ritual by those who have not performed Haj does not make much sense to me. I would like to be educated in this regard.
I also feel killing of so many top class animals in one day just to perform a ritual which is not a Farz is wasteful.
The element of show of wealth in performing this ritual is also very much there. What really bugs me is the multipile Qurbani and Qurbani on behalf of their dead ones done by some (newly and/or filthy) rich people. Now does that make any sense??
@Mudassar:Couldn’t agree more. Population is the biggest issue for our country right now, it is the root of all evil; without controlling it we are destined to be doomed, but no one dares to talk about it; forum like this should be used to educate people on issues like population and common sense.
Rahim Khan,
Having read the article and so far from experience I have reached the conclusion, that I am a poduct of a nation, which unfortunately has a history of
Nawab Ibn Nawab ibn Nawab and Ghulam Ibn Ghulam Ibn Ghulam, and our governments cant cease to be slaves of west unless they free their own ghulams.
Relevant questions Adil. However the purpose of Qurbani is not just to help the poor by way of distribution of wealth and meat – part of that is achieved by Zakat.
It is completely true that we’ve descended to a ritualistic low, however, arguably, the real purpose of Qurbani is sacrifice something that is very close to you for the will of God. Obviously it is not possible to establish a bond with an animal that was bought just a couple of days before eid. The animal should be reared and taken care of for sometime before it should be offered.
Giving away money is not always the solution. Often the purpose behind the ritual is much more significant – something that a monetary act of charity cannot duplicate. Just as you cannot give away money as compensation for prayer, giving away money in lieu of Qurbani is not feasible and does not fulfil the purpose.
Just my two cents.