EID UL AZHA AND SACRIFICE OF ANIMAL

             EID UL AZHA AND SACRIFICE OF ANIMAL
   

                PROF WAQAR HUSSAIN

                 EID UL AZHA IS ONE THE CHIEF RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL OF MUSLIM TO COMMEMORATE THE INDISTINGUISHED AND UNIQUE SACRIFICE OF HAZRAT IBRAHIM(AS) WHEN HE OFFERED THE LIFE OF HIS BELOVED SON HAZRAT ISMAIL(AS) IN THE WAY OF GOD AS AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE BUT INSTEAD WAS ABLE  TO SACRIFICE A RAM BY ALLAH’S COMMAND. A PERSON LOVES HIS SON MORE THAN ANY THING ELSE AND HE PRESENTED THE SON TO PLEASE GOD.THEN A PERSON LOVES HIS LIFE THAN ANY OTHER COMMODITY AND HAZRAT ISMAIL(AS) SHOWED READINESS TO BE SACRIFICED. SO BOTH THE FATHER AND THE SON PRESENTED THE SACRIFICE TO PLEASE THE ALLMIGHTY ALLAH AND SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE COMING GENERATIONS TO FOLLOW THEIR SUITE BY A SUBSTITUTE OF SACRIFICE OF ANIMAL THAT IS A SYMBOLIC RECOGNITION THAT ONE IS READY TO SACRIFICE EVEN HIS PRECIOUS THINGS IN THE WAY OF GOD.  THE QURAN DESCRIBES IBRAHIM (RA) AS FOLLOWS: “SURELY IBRAHIM WAS AN EXAMPLE OF OBEDIENCE TO ALLAH,BY NATURE UPRIGHT AND HE WAS NOT OF THE POLYTHEISTS.HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR OUR BOUNTIES. WE CHOSE HIM AND GUIDED HIM UNTO A RIGHT PATH.WE GAVE HIM GOOD IN THIS WORLD AND IN NEXT LIFE.HE WILL MOST SURELY BE AMONG THE RIGHTEOUS.”(THE QURAN 16:120-121)

                  NOW THE MUSLIMS REMIND THAT COMMITMENT BY OFFERING THE LIVES OF ANIMALS WORLDWIDE.EACH FAMILY SACRIFICES A DOMESTICATED ANIMAL SUCH AS GOAT, SHEEP, COW, BUFFALO OR CAMEL.THE MEAT IS THEN DIVIDED INTO THREE EQUAL PARTS; ONE FOR THE FAMILY, THE OTHER FOR RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS AND THE THIRD ONE FOR THE POOR AS GIFT.

                  ON THIS DAY,MILLIONS OF ANIMALS ARE SLAUGHTERED TO SHOW HARMONY WITH THE MARVELLOUS ACTION OF HAZRAT IBRAHIM(AS).ULEMA DESCRIBE IT AS AN OBLIGATORY WORSHIP EVEN FOR WOMEN.BUT THIS SYMBOLIC PRACTICE HAS TURNED TO A MASSIVE SLAUGHTERING

PUTTING, BURDEN ON ECONOMY AS THE CATTLE HAVE PIVOTAL ROLE IN LIVESTOCK RUN ECONOMY.PEOPLE OFFER SACRIFICE OF NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND TRY TO BUY THE ROBUST ONE TO EXHIBIT THEIR WEALTH.IN DOING SO WE ARE LOOSING THE REAL SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE AND IT HAS 

BECOME A STATUS SYMBOL AND MEAT COLLECTION EXERCISE.TWENTY YEARS AGO, I READ AN ARTICLE OF DR RAFI ULLAH SHAHAB IN THE FRONTIER POST AND JOTTED DOWN THE MAIN POINTS.THE GIST OF ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BELOW FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE READERS.THE CORE AND CRUX OF HIS ARTICLE IS THAT IT IS A SYMBOLIC PRACTICE AND NOT THE NAME OF MASSIVE SLAUGHTERING.

            *ACCORDING TO DR RAFI ULLAH SHAHAB HAZARAT ABU BAKR (RA) AND HAZARAT UMER (RA) DID NOT OFFER ANIMAL SACRIFICE IN THEIR LIVES.ULEMA SAYS THEY WERE NOT WELL TO DO.BUT IN FACT THEY WERE NOT SO POOR TO KEEP AWAY FROM THIS VIRTUE.

              *ACCORDING TO HADITH IT IS VIRTUE TO UNDERGO SACRIFICE BUT NOT FULFILLING IS NOT A SIN.

                *ACCORDING TO ANOTHER HADITH “THE SACRIFICE OF HEAD OF A FAMILY IS THE SACRIFICE OF THE WHOLE FAMILY.”

                 * HAZARAT ABDULLAH BIN UMER (RA) AND HAZARAT ABDULLAH BIN ABBAS (RA) WERE USED TO WALK ON THE ROADS AND OFFER PRAYER IN MOSQUES IN WHICH THE HOLY PROPHET (PBUH) ONCE WALKED OR OFFERED PRAYERS.IN SUM, THEY USE TO FOLLOW THE HOLY PROPHET (PBUH) IN EVERY INCH OF THEIR LIVES THAT IS WHY THEIR CONDUCT IS BEING CONSIDERED AUTHIORITY IN ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE.BUT THEY DID NOT OFFER SACRIFICE IN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE.

                   *IT IS RECORDED IN SUNNAH THAT THE HOLY PROPHET (PBUH) USED TO OFFER TWO RAMS; ONE FOR HIS UMMAH AND ONE FOR HIMSELF (PBUH) AND HIS FAMILY.

                  *ONCE HAZARAT IBNE ABBASS (RA) CAME TO KNOW ON EID UL AZHA DAY THAT THEIR FAMILY HAS NOT OFFERED SACRIFICE .HE SEND HIS SERVANT TO MARKET BY GIVING TWO DIRHAM AND ASKED HIM TO FETCH MEAT .WHEN HE BOUGHT MEAT AND BRING IT BACK TO HOME.IBNE E ABBASS TOOK THAT MEAT AND SAID, “IT WAS THE SACRIFICE OF HIS AND HIS FAMILY”.IT SHOW THAT IN THOSE DAYS MEAT WAS BEING SOLD IN MARKET ON THE EID DAY.BUT NOW MEAT SHOPS REMAIN CLOSE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND REFRIGERATOR HOLD THE MEAT FOR EVEN TWO MONTHS.IT SHOWS THE TUNE OF MASSIVE MEAT COLLECTION.

                     *HAZARAT ABU MASOOD INSARI (RA) WAS AN AFFLUENT PERSON WHO POSSESSED THOUSANDS OF GOATS AND SHEEP BUT HE NEVER OFFERED SACRIFICE IN HIS LIVE.

                      *HAZRAT BILAL HABSHI (RA) SACRIFICED A COCK.THE JURISTS SAY THAT HE MIGHT HAVE SOUGHT THE HOLY PROPHET’S PERMISSION.HE ALSO SAID THAT HE FELT IT BETTER TO DISTRIBUTE THIS MONEY AMONG THE POOR MUSLIMS.

                        *IN MANY ARAB COUNTRIES THE HEAD OF A FAMILY SACRIFICES AN ANIMAL.

                         *AHMAD BIN BILLAH, THE EX- PRESIDENT OF ALGERIA, ORDERED, “THERE WILL BE ONE SACRIFICE OF ANIMAL IN A MOHALLAH.”HE IS A MUSLIM SCHOLAR AND AFTER HIS PRESIDENCY TENURE, HE STARTED PROPAGATION OF ISLAM.

                            *IN OUR COUNTRY, MULLAH GET THE HIDE OF SLAUGHTERED ANIMALS SO THEY STRESS UPON THE SACRIFICE OF THE ANIMALS.WHEREAS THE COMPANIONS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (PBUH) USED TO USE THE HIDES FOR THEIR PERSONAL USE.  

              DR RAFI ULLAH SHAHAB HAS TRIED TO EMPHASIS THAT THE SACRIFICE OF HEAD OF A FAMILY IS THE SACRIFICE OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY.PROBABLY HE WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE NEED TO GET TO KNOW THE PHILOSOPHY OF SACRIFICE INSTEAD OF FALLING PREY TO OSTENTATIOUS STATUS RACE. IT HAS BECOMING CUSTOMARY TO OFFER PRIZED STOUT ANIMALS TO SHOW THE GLARE OF WEALTH.THEN AT MANY PLACES ESPECIALLY IN BIG CITIES, PEOPLE DONOT DISTRIBUTE THE MEAT ACCORDING TO PRESCRIBED FORMULA AND PLUG THEIR FRIGS.HADITH CLEARLY ADVISE “DISTRIBUTE MEAT AMONG THE POOR”.ONE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THE SANCTITY OF SACRIFICE THAT IT IS RELIGIOUS MANDATORY PRACTICE FOR THE PROSPEROUS PEOPLE AND NOT A “SHOW PEACE” AND THE MEAT SHOULD REACH THE POOR.