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.
@ Ali Khan :
Sir, you are quite confused. I have read again all your posts from December 2nd, 2009 12:15 pm onwards, as anyone can also do. In your posts, you have narrated/cited book of slaughter in detail and presented your view of the matter, and made your suggestions/observations. It is okay for you to do so.Any scholar, or for that matter, any Maulavi, jaahil or learned, would also do that to explain his point.But you never really asked me any significant question that I or other readers could answer. Really, not until this question which you asked in your post dated December 5th, 2009 11:01 am :
“and u say that it was the necessity of ancient people to slaughter animals but u should believe that Quran is a code of life for all Muslims to come. when Quran has made HALAL to sacrifice animals, how can u say that it is HARAM nowadays?? ”
I never said that the Prophet did not slaughter animals or that animal slaughter is “Haram” per Quran . In fact, I never even once used the word “Haram” throughout this discussion. Anyone can read all my posts again and confirm this.
At the risk of repeating myself, let me reiterate that all we have been discussing here, revolved around the original post by temporal:
“Celebrate the Spirit of Sacrifice. Spare the Animals.”
I never doubted that the ritual lacked the so called religious sanction. All we have always been saying is that even though a muslim as you insist, is expected to kill animals, do not just blindly do it for the sake of religion, as if it alone were your duty or obligation per Quran.There are other better ways to express your gratitude towards Allah. Those who do not slaughter should not be demoralized or discouraged. And believe me, this number is going to increase every year whatever fundoz insist. This is the REAL story.
I’d briefly cite a simple analogy : In a classroom,a child is not learning what the teacher is trying to teach. Though it is not forbidden for the teacher to slap and punish him (in fact he is supposed to do so as per the prevalent practice and the code of school and no one is stopping him; even the founder of the school did so!!), yet he chooses to mend the child through love and care in the play-way fashion.And he achieves better results than what he would have got throuh punishment.
I ask this question from all, ” Should the teacher be condemned or applauded?”
I appeal to everyone here including temporal, to just reply in one word : ‘condemned’ OR ‘applauded’ ? Thanks.
@animal lover: i haven’t found any answer to my recent posts which contain explanation of Quran and Ahadis and else. if u an’t give answer now, then why u do not accede to the fact that animal slaughter is totally HALAL??
@animal lover:
animal lover says:December 5th, 2009 11:54 pm
@ Ali Khan:
“lol… Is there anything in our country which is getting cheap? Tell me so that i can buy it. lol… ”
Yeah! It is Insaan and his insaaniyat/imaan that is getting cheaper. :)”
hey Mr: i did not mean insaniat or these things. as u said that the prices of animal meat getting higher, so, i meant to ask abt any product which is getting cheaper nowadays!! is there anything. ofcourse insaniat is getting cheaper but i did not mean to ask that!!!
Dear animal lover,
This is Shaheen from Canada.
I’m also interested in the said research findings, let’s hope if someone could throw light on it. Thanks for pointing it out.
I also feel that the vibes emanating from dying animals at qurbani time is not good. In a way, they must be cursing selfish humans and giving aahs or haays to the mankind.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,
which Allah knows the best.
In this lengthy debate, I found few good suggestions too like to arrange a place for slaughtering rather than messing things up on every road. In Clifton area, the administrators ordered all residents to slaughter within house or go to designated places. Its a good move. When countries like Saudia could have slaughter houses then why not in Pakistan?
@Ali Khan: As few users suggested here. both parties have expressed their point of view and it’s quite wastage of time to say it again and again. I am sure people who are speaking so much against the meat will already be waiting for beef and mutton biryani on shiny Sunday ;) So kindly quit this debate and follow what Imam Shafai had said once:
I debated a scholar and beat him. Then I debated a layman and that layman beat me – he had no knowledge of the principles and texts. I had nothing to say” –