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.
@ Faraz:
There is no disrespect towards Islam. The concern is that muslims are blindly following some traditions, while choosing to ignore many other sayings of Quran.
It is blind, ignorant practices that are being questioned, not the Islam.
@Animal lover
“Doesn’t this also mean that today muslims interpret the subject according to their convenience or what suits them.”
NO. And that’s the core of the issue here. Islam is not open for re-interpretation, not by people like you and me at least. If you wanna be kind to animals, that’s commendable, and I certainly agree with you. But you are not supposed to come out here and start suggesting major amendments to Islam based on your own personal biases. That’s what this is all about. I don’t know how you ‘liberals’ keep missing this point despite it being stated 10 times in 10 different ways.
Muslims today are limited to rituals and hatred of anyone who disagrees with their way. So any suggestion to not slaughter the animal, or more preferably to slaughter less animals will be fiercely rejected.
What Muslims want today is great food, great car, big house, lots of money and fun. Don’t get in their way !!
1) We ‘Liberals’ are generally not prone to shoving policies down others throat but the conservatives and the fundamentalists are much more likely to force their ideas upon others. Religion is the most convenient tool for their frozen minds. You can see that in this topic quite clearly. We merely request the society to re-consider the mindless and meaningless slaughter of goats, camels, sheep annually and that too in such unhygienic, ostentatious and brutal ways as done in Pakistan.
2) We ape the Arabs in following these rituals but even in Saudi Arabia Qurbani is done in cleaner and better ways.
3) Quran is very clear in emphasizing the spirit of sacrifice. And yet the fundos literally and selectively ad nauseum repeat the slaughter of animal part from the scriptures. Can they honestly say that the annual displays of so-called sacrifices of animals in Pakistani streets are done in the spirit of sacrifice? I don’t think they can and that should be the starting point of this debate with reference to religious aspects of these rituals. And yet all we hear is attempts to hide behind Quran by selective quotations.
4) Someone here has rightly pointed out the economic and environmental high costs of raising animals for food. That far outweighs any short term boost to the economy during Bakra Eid. Also, so long as Pakistanis are meat eaters the goats will still end up being eaten and the goat herders won’t starve to death (even if the goats will continue to gobble up vegetations in huge amounts upto their slaughter time).
5) I don’t think many here are asking anyone to quit eating meat. But many are requesting to reconsider the mindless, soul-less, spirit-less, unhygienic and brutal slaughter of animals every year in Pakistani streets.
6) Adopt an animal if you can. Or occasionally pet a sheep or a goat. Look into their eyes. They are quite loving. Or at least occasionally take a look at the thinning and toiling donkeys on Karachi streets. Have some pity on them who can’t complain despite being tortured all their lives.
7) Finally, again, please spare the animals on Eid Day!
Dear Ali Khan,
I never disputed that the Holy Prophet himself slaughtered animals. As I said, it was necessity in those times.
In one of my posts, I asked following question to Need food:
“But do not forget that since Allah asked Hazrat Ibrahim to sacrifice His dearest thing. Likewise,given that your dearest thing is human child;What will you sacrifice on Eid next year?”
His reply was:
“For your other question… thats why I am not a prophet.
On next Eid I will sacrifice an animal.. as that is what Allah has commanded me to do in Quran 22:36.
I think I will sacrifice a goat. I personally like goat’s meat over sheep’s. Sheep’s meet is a bit more fatty. You should try goat meat… it is tasty….. mmmmmm… roasted goat leg… thats the best, my mouth is full of water now… ”
Pls firstly decide if sacrifice is meant for Allah or for watering the mouth?
Secondly, he said “..thats why I am not a prophet.”; means he ought not do what Prophet did.
Doesn’t this also mean that today muslims interpret the subject according to their convenience or what suits them.
In my another post, i asked if muslims also follow Prophet in showing kindness towards animals like two incidents of Prophet i cited.However, this does not seem to be seen in practice. How unethically and cruelly the animals are treated by muslims, is not hidden from the world. This is totally different from Prophet’s command. But on this issue,no one raises his voice or asks people to be kind towards animals as laid down.
People are saying,cattles are gifted by Allah, they can not become extinct. Look at India’s example. There was a news report saying that due to rampant and uncontrolled killing of cows and buffalos by muslims and slaughterhouses there, number of milk giving cows and buffalos is fast decreasing ,but not the human population and consequently, there is a large unfilled gap in demand and supply of milk and other dairy products. This has led to a large,parallel supply stream of synthetic milk,khoya and ghee. You’ll be surprised that synthetic milk is being made from harmful chemicals such as urea, detergent, white paint, etc.
Isn’t it alarming enough to ponder over the ill consequences of mass animal killings, humane aspects aside. Thanks.