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?
half of them decide to start keeping a goat, sheep or a cow in their house a couple of months before Eid
1. The prices of sacrifical animals makes mockery of people who can not afford it.
2. If you think about it, Qurbani has other hidden costs, purchasing is just the start. After purchase, you have to arrange to transport it to your home. Then you have to take care of these animals (feeding/cleaning/providing safety or paying for safety of your animal). On the last day which is Eid. You have to either find and pay the butcher (Qasae) or
you do it yourself which is a whole day activity (slaughtering, skinning, cutting, cleaning, and at the end distributing the meat).
So if you add all associated cost and you have debt in your hand.
Does someone remembers Dilawar Figars’ Nazm on Qurbani ke janwar aur qeemtain.
Please share.
“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[slaughtered]”
This sounds a little problematic. For example, there are two million households in Karachi (population 12-14 million) and half of them decide to start keeping a goat, sheep or a cow in their house a couple of months before Eid “to establish a bond with the animal”. Now imagine one million bakras bleating in the city for two months. Wouldn’t the citizens of Karachi go nuts? And what if every one becomes a “good Muslim” and starts adopting cattle at home?
Pardon me.
Frankly, I am disappointed both at the current post (including the previous post and the responses) as well as the responses.
Is this what the best and the brightest know about our faith?
No wonder, those guys who have memorized six ayats and three hadees are cleaning the clock! No wonder those primary pass and middle fail fellows have been running circles around us.
Are we answering ignorance with more ignorance?
I do not mean to patronize, but come on folks, you can do better.
Dear RJ,
I belive it is high time that our generation realize this thing that common sense is the biggest gift of God to all mankind and we need to make use of it and someone has to dare to talk about it loud and clear and now, and forum like these can help but the main need is to create awareness amongst masses about the value of human life, we need to come up with a two child policy enforced by the government, so that we can sustain as a nation, imagine the Atta crises at the moment,,as the population grows demand for Atta increases, and the cultivatable land decreases, it is going to be a total chaos in the coming years …..please I request all of you on this forum try to create awareness amongst those you can.