spare the poor goat or lamb or cows 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.
Dear Mr. Ali Khan and all,
With due respect to the learned poster,one Mr.Muhammed Irtaza, I am quoting comment posted by him in another blog:
”
Muhammed Irtaza said…
Salamun Alykum.
We do not read and understand the Quran! Consequently, we kill thousands of animals every year during “Eid-al-Adha”, which does not serve any purpose!
The Quranic teaching is crystal clear. We need to meet the following requirements of the animal sacrifice (Qurbani):
1. The animal must be donated to the Ka’bah:
[22:32] Indeed, those who reverence the rites decreed by GOD demonstrate the righteousness of their hearts.
[22:33] The (livestock) provide you with many benefits for a period, before being donated to the ancient shrine.
The animal killing during the “Qurbani Eid” does not serve this purpose. Additionally, the current practice during Hajj is to kill animal at Meena, not to donate to the shrine!
2. The animal has to reach the Ka’bah:
[5:95] O you who believe, do not kill any game during pilgrimage. Anyone who kills any game on purpose, his fine shall be a number of livestock animals that is equivalent to the game animals he killed. The judgment shall be set by two equitable people among you. They shall make sure that the offerings reach the Ka`bah. Otherwise, he may expiate by feeding poor people, or by an equivalent fast to atone for his offense. GOD has pardoned past offenses. But if anyone returns to such an offense, GOD will avenge it. GOD is Almighty, Avenger.
The current practice is to send the animal to Meena, not to the Ka’bah!
3. Only God’s name shall be mentioned. The meat shall be consumed by Hajji, poor and needy:
[ 22:36] The animal offerings are among the rites decreed by GOD for your own good. You shall mention GOD’s name on them while they are stand- ing in line. Once they are offered for sacrifice, you shall eat therefrom and feed the poor and the needy. This is why we subdued them for you, that you may show your appreciation.
I do not know how many Hajji eat the meat of their sacrificed animals? The Saudi Government ignores this provision! I know one fellow who lives in the USA recently bought a big refrigerator to save the meat from the Qurbani Eid animal!
4. Only righteousness is important to God:
[22:37] Neither their meat, nor their blood reaches GOD. What reaches Him is your righteousness. He has subdued them for you, that you may show your appreciation by glorifying GOD for guiding you. Give good news to the charitable.
Sadly, we kill animal during the “Qurbani Eid” just to show-off!
Thank you and may God guide me,
Muhammed Irtaza :”
I’d rather choose to be neutral to these comments.
The link to the discussion there is:
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/11/ei d-al-adha-what-is-sacrifice.html
Another comment there by Anonymous is also interesting wherein disapproving ritual of slaughter, S/he suggests this:
“While a new tradition can replace it that of sacrificing a Cake shaped into calf, camel or goat made of salads or cucumber.
It will not happen overnight but those who feel persuaded can start a tradition and introduce to their friends. May be some people can do both. A real cruel-ritual and a feigned fun-ritual that enrich your Eid ul Zuha celebration!”
Once I also had thought upon, on similiar line.
Thanks.
Dear animal lover,
I ejoyed the story of man, monkey and lion (Trinity). Alas, it had been always the same, except that man has gone further to replace lion by his god or God and slaughter by sacrifice. To please god the man has not hesitated to sacrice one of his own (in some cases even his own child).
The monotheists even get a reward for their after-life from their God. What an irony!!
Thanks temporal and animal lover and all other posters for good topic and discussion.
@animal lover: if u believe in god, u must accept that Prophet(pbuh) was right in his every matter and he is the apostle of Allah!! now, i have given u so many proves!! now, rather than us, u should ponder weather this ritual is devoid of any justification or not!!
@animal lover:
yes, if u read my comment containing Ahadis, u will probbably find the same thing there that Allah has defined the right of His every creature and we must not violate those rights!! but here we are arguing on what we should do not what we do!! yeah, i wholeheartedly say that the rights of animal must not be broken!! but slaughtering them is not the violation of their rights because Holy Prophet(pbuh) himself did this and i have proved this by the Ahadis.
Now, u raised a question that was “did prophet(pbuh) do it specially on Eid day and can i provide u with some Ahadis which say this”
my answer is “yes”, Prophet(pbuh) did it specially on Eid day and i can provide u with a number of traditions saying this. yet, he also told what should we do on Eid day, what should be our appearance and else.
Now, read the following Ahadis (they are derieved from Sahi Bukhari):
Volume 2, Book 15, Number 71:
Narrated Al-Bara’:
I heard the Prophet (p.b.u.h) delivering a Khutba saying, “The first thing to be done on this day (first day of ‘Id ul Adha) is to pray; and after returning from the prayer we slaughter our sacrifices (in the name of Allah) and whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (traditions).”
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Volume 2, Book 15, Number 85:
Narrated Al-Bara’:
The Prophet delivered the Khutba on the day of Nahr (‘Id-ul-Adha) and said, “The first thing we should do on this day of ours is to pray and then return and slaughter (our sacrifices). So anyone who does so he acted according to our Sunna; and whoever slaughtered before the prayer then it was just meat that he offered to his family and would not be considered as a sacrifice in any way. My uncle Abu Burda bin Niyyar got up and said, “O, Allah’s Apostle! I slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer but I have a young she-goat which is better than an older sheep.” The Prophet said, “Slaughter it in lieu of the first and such a goat will not be considered as a sacrifice for anybody else after you.”
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Book , Number 4818:
Jundab b. Sufyan reported: I was with Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the day of ‘Id al-Adha. While he had not returned after having offered (the Id prayer) and finished it, he saw the flesh of the sacrificial animals which had been slaughtered before he had completed the prayer. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: One who slaughtered his sacrificial animal before his prayer or our prayer (‘Id), he should slaughter another one in its stead, and he who did not slaughter, he should slaughter by reciting the name of Allah.
i hope so that u r no more confused in this regard!! plz visit the website, there is a lot of information about this Slaughtering. do not take it at ur ego. if u r wrong, accept it and try to transform urself!! may god bless u, ameen
http://www.islamonline.net/English/hajj/2001/Eid-u l-Adha/article1.shtml#kitab