Pakissan.com; Eid-ul-Azha: the festival of sacrifice

Sacrificing animals on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha on the 10th, 11th and 12th Zilhij is the fulfilment of 'Sunnat-i-Ibrahimi,' when one night Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) dreamed that 'Allah' had ordered him to sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail (AS), who was dearest, as he was born in his old age. 'Allah' just wanted to test the feelings of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). Eid-ul-Azha: the festival of sacrifice

When he told Hazrat Ismail of what he dreamed, he found him steadfast, resolute and asked his father to carry out, what was ordained by 'Allah', but, 'Allah' was so much pleased with his obedience to Him, that Angel Gabriel was ordered to replace a fat sheep at the time when Hazrat Ismail was under his father's knife. Since, then every Muslim, on whom 'Sadqai Fitr' is (Wajib) has to sacrifice an animal every year to commemorate the great event for his or her communion with 'Allah'.

Eid-ul-Azha brings joy to the rich and the poor alike. Even the poorest Muslim tries to wear new clothes, shoes and perfumes, before going for the congregational prayers and sacrifices an animal or takes a share in a cow, bullock, buffalow or a camel, on his return from the prayers.

The livestock sellers decorate the animals with colourful beads, garlands of artificial flowers and tinsel to attract the buyers. On arrival, the animals are feasted in the houses with chopped or unchopped green or dry fodder, grain husk and gram that the animal might not have got to eat earlier.

Children and even the adults are seen parading their sacrificial animals in the flat compounds or in the bye-lanes. The animals are given clean water to drink, fed well and cared in the best possible manner. Some persons give bath to their animals to keep them clean.

During the Eid days, a number of stalls crop up in every locality to sell fodder and sharpen the rusted tools of butchery. All this provides jobs to a number of persons tending to the needs of the animals from the beginning to the end of Eid.

Sacrifice Has no Alternative: There is no other alternative to 'Qurbani'. One is bound to slaughter an animal. The cost of an animal or of the share taken in it, cannot be given to obviate sacrifice of an animal.

But money covering the cost of a goat or a sheep or for share taken in a cow, bullock, buffalow and camel, can be deposited with any religious institution, who undertake 'Ijtimai Qurbani', (collective sacrifice), if a person is unable to go for purchase of an animal for some valid reasons.

But sacrificial meat is always divided into three parts. One part is given to the poor, the second one is distributed among the relations and the third part is retained for personal consumption.

Skins, hides and the meat of the sacrificed animal can be given to institutions like 'Muslim Orphanages', 'Poor Houses', 'Muslim Social Service Organisations' like 'Edhi Trust' for the maintenance of their social service programmes.

Animals Suited for Sacrifice: Goats and sheep being small and docile get the first preference in sacrifice. Those who cannot afford a goat or a sheep take share in a cow, bullock, buffalo or a camel, which come next in preference.

Goats and sheep have to be not less than a year in age. A cow, a bullock, and a buffalow has to be of two years of age. A camel has to be five years old for sacrifice. There are always seven equal shares in meat and (other things) of a bigger animal.

Sick, wounded animals with any kind of deformity like broken horns, clipped or cleft ears, blind in one or both eyes, or crippled are not sacrificed. Animals carrying (unborn) young ones are also avoided.

Skinny, hide-bound, toothless animals and those having lost marrow in their bones, are equally forbidden for sacrifice. Under-age animals are also not allowed. Sacrificial animals should be in perfect health by the time they are sacrificed.

Only skilled 'butchers' should be hired for sacrificing an animal and the tools used in this trade should be sharp enough for quick work. An animal should always be deskinned, when its body has become cool. Sacrificing animal for mere pomp and show of one's opulence is also not allowed.

Our Social & Civic Responsibilities: Qurbani is not confined to only the Muslims. In the past, 'Oblations' were offered to propitiate deities and gods.

But in Islam, 'Qurbani' has a different meaning. It requires one to be prepared even to sacrifice the most precious thing in life for the pleasure of 'Allah' and to bow before the divine commandment.

Islam lays great emphasis on 'Huqooq-ul-Ibad' after the 'Huqooq-ul-Allah'. Safai (cleanliness) is 'Nisf Iman'. But it is observed that most of us are very mindful of 'Huqooq-ul-Allah' and pay little heed to 'Huqooq-ul-Ibad'.

We are so eager for 'Qurbani' that our civic and social obligations are thrown to the winds in the excitement of 'Qurbani'. On every 'Eid-ul-Azha', everybody likes to get his animal sacrificed nearest to his or her residence.

Blood, offal and other waste, after an animal has been sacrificed, is thrown out, which comes under the feet of the pedestrians and the motorists.

Blood washed from the residences, creates small pools of blood on the roads and in the streets. Offal, kept outside an house, is dragged by dogs or the naughty children pelt it with stones to burst the offal. In most of the flat-complexes, animals are slaughtered here and there and blood and viscera is scattered here and there.

No pit is dug to collect blood and other waste material to be buried to serve as an organic manure for the lawns and other plants maintained in a flat compound. If each of us realises his or her civic duties much of the insanitary conditions emanating from the sacrificed animals could be appreciably minimised by placing a big bin for collection of the waste.

Powdered lime should be sprinkled to disinfect the area, where animals have been slaughtered, to curb the spread of diseases, multiplication of the flies and mosquitoes.

Sacrificial meat received from next door neighbours gives rise to problems, if you have got storage facilities inadequate to cope with the situations.

If it turns bad for want of proper storage, it is fed to cats. Meat received in excess, should always be passed on to the Muslim orphanages and other social educational institutions for their consumption.

Maintaining cleanliness in front of your own house, means shifting your problem to your neighbour. Care should, therefore, be taken that your neighbour is not inconvenienced by your actions.

Cleanliness is 'Nisf Iman' but it is not evidenced in any locality on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. Civic agencies involved in keeping an area clean by their quick attendance, should be awarded by the Municipal Committees on the performance of their duties. 'Khatibs' in the mosques should also emphasise the importance of keeping the area clean, after sermons on the importance of 'Eid-ul-Azha' and all other aspects linked with 'Qurbani' are over.

The news and the electronic media may launch campaigns, before the actual advent of Eid-ul-Azha to educate the masses the importance of 'Huqooq-ul-Ibad'. Government agencies should provide more facilities to the agencies engaged in utilising the sacrificial waste in making poultry/livestock feed.

The animal bones and other waste can be crushed to make fertilisers to be used for growing fruits and vegetables. Other economic uses of the animal waste be discovered for their profitable utilisation.

While performing Sunnat-i-Ibrahimi, may God give us all 'Taufeeque' to realise our social, civic obligations and the responsibilities as well towards 'Eid-ul-Azha', which receive very little attention of the individuals. The very joy of 'Eid-ul-Azha' is lost when we see insanitary conditions prevailing here and there, atmosphere thick with smells and purifying pieces of meat.

If we realise our civic responsibilities, much of these conditions can be remedied by our timely and co-operative actions.

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