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.
@ animal lover,
ROTFL :)
Good points raised by you.
@ Naan Haleem says:
Still you are avoiding other ayya’s of Quran where Allah has spcified (herbivorous) animals as food and means of transportation and has COMMANDED TO EAT.
That is great.
You once wrote that you live out of Pakistan, most probably in the US or the Europe.
Since Allah has sent animals to be your food and means of transportation, you must have travelled on camel’s back all the way from Pakistan to the US.
But, if you used modern day transportation, you’re in trouble since you have not used Allah’s commanded means of transport, just as I did not kill an animal for food… :)
Outside of Hajj and at Mecca alone, there is no requirement to sacrifice an animal in remembering Ibrahim.
I am not sure when or how this tradition crept into the Muslim observance for those who are not performing Hajj. Certainly there is no record of it during the times of the Rasool. In the 9th year, he did not perform Hajj. He sent Abu Bakr and Imam Ali to represent him. There is no record of any sacrifice at Medina.
That said, there is nothing wrong in it either. Remembering Ibrahim for his conviction is a good deed. He was the first Muslim.
I find nothing wrong with it.
Further, there is no tradition of any holiday associated with it either. And in case of Pakistan, that can be a week to 10 days. These are all modern conventions.
For that matter, there is no tradition of taking a Friday off either. All of these are made up conventions.
The real problem is that it appears that some people have taken the “sacrificing bijness” too far. And seem to do it for reasons other than conviction or faith. Only they know what they are doing and why?
But with population density in major cities, it has created major problems and it is primarily due to economics and not religion. There is no market mechanism for people to share same feelings on the same day or days.
The chaos you see due to butchers running around is only in a few cities. Nothing like this happens in villages or smaller towns.
Problem with Pakistanis is that they see few things in 3 cities and think this is what it is all about.
But still that said, people should be left alone. There is no need to beat them up like nutty mullahs or fake liberals. There is good life that does not involve wearing a tent nor getting naked.
Pakistanis are middle of the road people. Vast majority are good sensible people and need not be told what is right. They naturally know it. And they naturally do it.
During the whole discussion, I asked this question twice: “Pls cite one single reference which authorises/commands you to commit mass slaughters year by year on a fixed day”, but no reply has been received from those learned interpreters of religion.
@ Animal Lover
It is to remind you that you are killing one of Allah’s creations for meeting out your necessity.(It also means that if you have other means to feed you, you must excercise restraint in killing animals unnecessarily. Since livestock belongs to none other but Allah, they are precious enough not to be wasted unnecessarily!).
That is the remotest interpretation of why we call Allah’s name when slaughtering. You will have to do more to justify this interpretation of Quranic ayyas. Looks like you are trapped in a spell of saving the animals which are actually created as a food. And spell bounded, you are making absurd rather funny reasoning without any reference.
Still you are avoiding other ayya’s of Quran where Allah has spcified (herbivorous) animals as food and means of transportation and has COMMANDED TO EAT.
Like in Surrah Kauthar:
Fassall’e Le-Rabbik’a Wa’Nhar
Here Allah has commanded to pray and sacrifice in one go, you can not say that Allah has commanded to pray but has given option whether to sacrifice or not.
Similarly, in the ayya’s I mentioned in my aforementioned post, Allah has commanded to eat the flesh of animals. I dont see why you are ignoring those ayyas and clear message given.
Had slaughtering of animal being a disliked and least preferred act to Allah, why was it made an essential part of Hajj proceedings? an occasion most sacred when you can not even kill a lice, in a location where hunting is banned, in a dress considered purest of all? why?
Obviously, Allah has always been aware of growing number of pilgrims and this can not be taken as excuse to call it “unnecessary killing”.
And as for taking Allah’s name on slaughtering, I had already cleared in another earlier comment that it is meant to realize the significance of Life (whether human or animal) as most important worldly thing. Upon Allah’s command, sacrificing an animal’s life by calling His name is a symbol of subjugation and supplication to Allah. That we shall sacrifice (the most precious thing) to none by only Allah.
Its a question of what is your ULTIMATE GOAL: subjugation to Allah or campaigning animal rights?
This was the last comment from my side and i am closing this discussion as per Allah’s guidance in Surah Al Hajj
And if they [try to] argue with thee, say [only]: “Allah knows best what you are doing.” [22-68]
May Allah bless you.