STORY OF SEEING SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER OF CAMEL

STORY OF SEEING SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER OF CAMEL

  PROF WAQAR HUSSAIN

          Before Eid-ul-Adha, I came to know that a Mahmood Akhtar, a butcher by profession, has bought a camel for sacrifice. He has been sacrificing camel since three years. His wife was very fond of camel sacrifice. She advocated that the Holy Prophet(PBUH) had great reverence for this animal.She often quoted Hadith: "The sacrifice of camel is supreme of all". So, he managed camel at her wish and fulfilled her religious aspiration.  Later she died but he is still undergoing camel slaughter on Eid. This year, he again bought camel for sacrifice and kept it at mandi Muweshain (Cattle market) temporarily established for Eid ul Adha. One day I was searching for goat and went to Mandi Muweshian. Where, I saw the camel. I inquired his son Mittho, what is its cost? He replied ‘1,15,000 Rs’. Then I asked him, ‘How many shares, it contains?’ Mittho replied: “I don’t know, some say seven, some say ten!” He then asked me to confirm the shares. I phoned Prof. Dr. Mahfooz Ahmad (Islamic education) of Sangla Hill. He replied:

         Rafeh Bin Hudekh (RA) said: “There can be seven shares of camel”. But it is written in Badat-ul-Majtahid (Book of Ibne Rushd) that almost all Ulema have consensus (ijma) that the above statement is not correct. Dr. Sahib, further added, that it is written in Tahawi Shareef that after Sulah Huddabya(truce of Huddabya) when the Holy Prophet(PBUH) performed Ummrah (pilgrimmage to Mecca on days  other than the Hajj days ) along with 700 Sahabis (companions of the Holy Prophet, PBUH) and 70 Camels were slaughtered. So, it shows camel has 10 shares. There is also tradition that one camel and one cow were also slaughtered on that occasion. In sum, there is difference of opinion; some says seven shares and some are of the view that there are ten Shares.However, there are many Hadith about 7 shares.So the seven shares are more reliable.

                I narrated the whole episode of shares to him and inquired when they are planning to slaughter camel. He told on 3^rd day of Eid at 9 am.

                 On third day of Eid, I along with my family reached the spot of sacrifice. Many people were present on the scene to watch the rare phenomenon of camel sacrifice. Camel was tied with a thin rope. My friend Saeed Ahmad told that the camel is not tied with rope but with a ‘thought’ that he had been tied thus could not escape. He told: “When, a camel is first fettered with rope in his tender age. He puts his energy to go away and keeps on struggling for a few days. Being a young, weak and frail cannot break the shackle of rope and finally abandon the struggle and accepts the fate. But, when it grows bigger and powerful and can easily break the rope but still he thinks of his past experience that he cannot break that rope. Now, he is not tied with rope but with a “thought”. It was an interesting fact which Mr Saeed disclosed. In the meanwhile many more people came to the spot.

 Suddenly, the owner of camel Mahmood Akhtar came to the scene. I found the opportunity to ask him a few questions. He told that my wife provoked me to sacrifice camel and now I am doing it on regular basis. When asked about its price. He told 1,15,000 Rs. Camel gets donda (grow mature) at the age of 5 year. It yields about 12 maund (480 kg) meat. In local language, it is called todda and female toddy. Todda is very dangerous and difficult to handle. Todda catches his enemy in mouth and throw on ground sits upon, crushing opponent to death. On hearing this I stepped away from toddy in a fear. He also informed that butcher charges 30,000 Rs to slaughter a camel.

                       When asked, how it is slaughtered. Akhtar told that first its legs and mouth are tied with rope and then razed to the ground. Its long neck is cut at three places. In Arabian countries, a knife or spear is thrust into the hollow between its neck and chest in standing posture. A fountain of blood erupts from the cut, it falls on the ground then it is cut from three points. Suddenly, I noticed hustle in the crowd as camel was being tied and then six to seven sturdy people tried to ground it. But the toddy was powerful enough and finally managed to knock down to the ground. Then a person raised voice of Allah ho Akbar…… and started cutting her neck.

        A spring of gushing blood came out, colouring the clothes red on nearby people. Then second and third cut were made and finally toddy succumbed and breathed its last and butcher started pealing of it skin. I went near to them and started getting information about hide and leather of camel.

 The rate of camel skin is just 700 Rs whereas goat hide sells at 400Rs and cow at 2700 Rs. The leather of camel is not good for shoes as it has weak texture and gets deteriorated in water. So, it is used to make wallet, decoration items, and prayer mat. Multan is famous for camel skin work.

              By offering parting slam, we returned home on Blue Cultus. On the way, my elder son Amsar Hussain showered rain of questions about camel. Other sons Zawar Hussain and Nisar Hussain also joined him, making it a torrential rain. Hold on my sons! Let’s hear the salient and astonishing facts about camel.

                Camel is 50 million year old specie of genus camela having distinct fat deposits on its back commonly known as hump.

 Camel has two prominent species dromedary (one-humped camel found in Middle East, South Asia and horn of Africa) and Bactrian (two-humped camel inhabitant of Central Asia. There are 14 million domesticated dromedaries and 1.4 million domesticated Bactrian in the world. The word camel has Latin origin meaning to carry. Its average life expectancy is 40-50 years, height 7 feet and can run up to speed of 65km/hour. The weight of male dromedary carcass is 400 kg and that of male Bactrian is 650 kg. Camel has 74 chromosomes with unusual immune system.

                Now, take note of the distinctive unique features of camel. The male dromedary camel has unusual organ in neck called “dulla”. It is large inflatable sac which camel extrudes from his mouth to assert dominance and attract female. It resembles a long, swollen, pink tongue hanging out of the side of its mouth. Camels mate by having both male and female sitting on the ground.

              The other distinctive feature of camel is its heat withstanding and water holding capacity by distinctive morphological structure.

               First, the hump is reservoir of fatty tissues that insulate its body from excessive heat of desert and also acts as water reservoir. When fat metabolizes, it yields 1g of water for each 1g of fat, oxidized by air.

               Secondly, camel can withstand long period of drought as their red blood cells(RBC) are oval shaped, unlike circular RBC of other mammals. These oval RBC can flow easily in dehydrated state and can withstand high osmetic variations without rupturing on drinking 100 litre of water in a single drink.

                Third, camel can endure changes in body temperature and water consumption that would kill most of animals. Camel’s temperature ranges from 34^oC (93^oF) at night to 41^oC (106^oF) at noon. Camel starts sweating above 41^oC so water is not lost in sweating in mild hot conditions.

                 Fourthly, the nature has designed nostrils of camel in a way that they trap water vapours of exhaled air and return them to body fluid.

                 Fifthly, thick skin of camel insulates their bodies from desert heat. These traits make camel suitable for desert terrain. Camel’s flat feet do not sink in desert sand, making it unmatchable riding in desert. Its milk provides protein for the desert people. Its dung is a fertilizer for many desert trees. That is why it is termed as “the ship of the desert”. In fact, toddy (local name of camel) is the 2D (Corrola 2D) of the desert. Its meat is palatable and easily digestible. In Karachi, Nihari(a special dish of meat) of camel is very famous and special Nihari restaurants are running. In Chiniot, kunna goosht (a special dish of meat cooked in pitcher) of camel is very popular. Apart from meat, camel provides hairs for textile, leather for decoration pieces and dung for fuel. It dung is so dried that it can be burnt as it is excreted.  According to a local tradition, its milk is good for jaundice, its meat is treatment of rheumatic pains and some Vedic drugs are made from its jaws. According to Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim, Muhammad (PBUH) ordered people to drink camel milk and urine  as a medicine.However, other Islamic Scholars have stated Muhammad(PBUH) did not recommended drinking camel urine and this was later addition.Dr Mahfooz told the essence of a Hadith that once a delegation of non -muslim came to the Holy Prophet(PBUH) and ate too much as a result, they fell ill due to stomach disorder.On seeing this, the Holy Prophet(PBUH) suggested  a medine but they didn't recover.Then the Holy Prophet(PBUH) asked them to drink urine of camel and they recovered.But this order was not for the Muslim. 
            These virtues have made camel very popular in our daily lives and many  maxims of camel are roaming in our day to day discussion. For instance: last straw breaks the camel’s back; Trust in Allah, but tie your camel; Strain at a gnat and swallow the camel;At 20 a man is a peacock, at 30 a lion, at 40 a camel, at 50 a serpent, at 60 a dog, at 70 an ape, at 80 nothing; Oonth ra oonth, teri konsi kal sedhi(a person having no quality); Oonth budha hoa, per mootna na aya(lack of manners even after attaining  age of puberty); Oonth ka galay main billi( an unmatched relationship); Oonth ka monh main zerra( a little food presented to a big fellow); Oonth kis karwat bhait ta ha( wait till the outcome of an issue); Oonth charay ko kutta katay(an incidence of extreme misfortune); Oonth ki pakar aur orat ka makkar sa Khuda bachay(God forbade from the grip of a camel and from the pretence of a woman),etc.

             Toynbee has matched Muslim civilization with queue of camels, striding in desert and described that the Muslim like camels tread on the footsteps of their forefathers. Sir Winston Churchill said: “The Arabs are a backwards people who eat nothing but camel dung.” George W. Bush went further ahead in animosity of the Muslim and said:  “When I take action, I’m not going to fire a 2 million dollar missile at a 10 dollar empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It’s going to be decisive.” To the Western people, I want to add that camel is known for its rage and revenge when irritated to ad nauseam and keeps his enemy in mind for years till he tells him the deserved lesson. It first clutches its enemy from the neck, throw him to the ground and then trample him under his feet and Toynbee has equated the Muslim with the camel. Be careful of the day when the Muslim will exhibit this trait of camel. So, don’t irritate the Muslims by cartoons,film,etc. A nod is enough for the wise!