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 Animal Lover,
Bhaijaan, beware!! Your comments would never be accepted by the mullah community, and traders of bakra skins. I have little doubts that they’d start abusing you and accusing you of blasphemy of their own judgement.
You are right that today, the ritual is a mere show-off of money power which can be witnessed a day or two before, at bakra mandies. Very true that the muslims are killing animals, but the sacrifice is only of money and not of animal as proclaimed. Why not use that money in a better, civic,humane and decent way, rather than killing animals?
But your arguments would make any difference to the fundamentalists, I can’t really imagine! Bhains ke aagey been bajane se kya hota hai?
Thanks Khurshid and Salman for your nice words. I hope more and more muslims understand that killing animals should be avoided.
Anyways, I have discovered a typo in one of my recent posts : gaze should be replaced with the word graze, please. Thanks.
Mr. Animal Lover
I had previously given you spiritual and economic reasons why sacrificing animals means total submission to Allah almighty. Then I left the discussion after giving you sound answers with references from Quran to your various illogical remarks and questions, i.e. animals are not meant for food, Allah never allowed to kill or slaughter animals as sacrifice etc.
You can go back and see that you always avoided my authentic replies and always raised a different question. It looks like you made it an issue of ego rather than accepting the reality.
Now you say that
>>>The fact is that nowhere in Quran, or Hadith, it has been Commanded to a muslim to kill animals throughtout his life, on a fixed day every year, such as Eid day>>>
YOU ARE WRONG…… TOTALLY WRONG
There is a complete chapter in Sahih Bukhari on Eidain (the two Eids) containing several Ahaadith relating the commands and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with respect to Nahr (slaughtering) on Eid ul Adha. I have reproduced the English translation of relevant Ahaadith from http://www.ahadith.co.uk while the original text and Urdu translations are found in hard copy of Sahih Bukhari published by numerous printers in India and Pakistan. Read the Ahaadith below and decide for yourself. I think you have no chance of denial now.
Narrated: Al-Bara bin Azib:
The Prophet (PBUH)went towards Al-Baqi (the grave-yard at Medina) on the day of Eid-ul-Adha and offered a two-Rakat prayer (of Eid-ul-Adha) and then faced us and said, “On this day of ours, our first act of worship is the offering of prayer and then we will return and slaughter the sacrifice, and whoever does this concords with our Sunna; and whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before that (i.e. before the prayer) then that was a thing which he prepared earlier for his family and it would not be considered as a Nusuk (sacrifice.)” A man stood up and said, “O, Allah’s Apostle! I slaughtered (the animal before the prayer) but I have a young she-goat which is better than an older sheep.” The Prophet (PBUH) said to him, “Slaughter it. But a similar sacrifice will not be sufficient for anybody else after you.”
Sahih Bukhari Chapter 15, Hadith 71, 75, 82, 85 and 93 given on the website http://bit.ly/gwAs3s
Original Text of this Hadith and Urdu translation can be found in Sahih Bukhari Volume 2 Chapter 13 “Kitab ul Eidain” Ahaadith no. 951 (Page 122), no. 955 (page 125), no. 965 (page 129) no. 958 (page 131) no. 976 (page 137) no. 983 (page 142)
Here you can see that Al-Baqee (the graveyard at Madinah) is mentioned and everyone knows that Hajj is not performed in Madinah. Furthermore, everyone knows that one does not offer Eid prayers if one is performing Hajj. So all these Ahadith must relate to those Muslims who are not performing Hajj. And thus the command of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to slaughter animals on Eid ul Adha is as bright as sun.
Another hadith…
Narrated: Ibn Umar
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to Nahr or slaughter sacrifices at the Musalla (on Eid-ul-Adha).Sahih Bukhari Chapter 15, Hadith 98
Original Text of this Hadith and Urdu translation can be found in Sahih Bukhari Volume 2 Chapter 13 “Kitab ul Eidain” Ahaadith no. 982 (Page 142)
and another one….
Narrated: Sahl bin Bakkar
The narration of Anas abridged, saying, “The Prophet slaughtered seven Budn (camels) while standing, with his own hands. On the day of Eid-ul-Adha he slaughtered (sacrificed) two horned rams, black and white in color.Sahih Bukhari Chapter 26, Hadith 770
So my dear, let go of your illogical ego and embrace the commands of Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lest you are considered ill-fated.
Please stop this nonsense killing of animals.And help poor in better ways on 365 days, not just eid day as written by Animal Lover.I also agree to the stance that this brutality is behind muslims being labelled as terrorists across the civilized world.
Thanks.
Great posts by Animal Lover.
Yep, killing animals annually is NOT commanded anywhere.Hope more and more muslims will come to agree to your views in time to come.
Good going, keep it up.