In the name of God...
Just when I thought that I can change the course of this blog from lessons on Islam to something more in tune with the current situation Islam is in, an avid reader asked me for an insight on one of the less talked about Islamic practices - the animal sacrifice on Eid-ul-Zuha.Although I haven’t come across many people who would vehemently oppose it, owing to religious tolerance, I did realize that there are people out there who would, at least, like to know why? The one’s who regard it as a barbaric act of cruelty. Unfortunately, they are confusing this with the ancient act of worshipping sacrifices made for idolized Gods in some parts of the world. So let’s try and separate the myths/misconceptions from the facts.
So, lets begin from the beginning – where and how did this practice originate;
During the time of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), human sacrifices were still current. One night the Prophet himself had a vision where Allah asked him to sacrifice the one thing he held dearest. He thus got up and thought of the thing most dear to him – his own son – Ismail. He told Ismail about his vision and the steadfast son asked him to follow what his heart commanded.
He took Ismail to a jungle and took a knife – blindfolded himself so his hands do not shake while sacrificing his own son in the name of Allah. As he ran the knife on his throat and took off the blindfold, he found that his son had been replaced by a goat. Allah, the most merciful, had already sought his sacrifice when he set out to slay his own blood.
Since then the idea of substituting animal sacrifice to human life gained momentum. The objective of this sacrifice is to remind oneself of the spirit of sacrificing oneself for Allah.
“Neither the flesh of the animals of your sacrifice nor their blood reaches Allah – it is your righteousness that reaches him.”(Surah 22:37)
This practice however, got amended at the time of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), who found it to be un-rightful to simply slay animals and leave it at that. He made it a practice to utilize the meat of that animal for community feasts or as alms to the poor.
From then on, every year Eid-ul-Zuha has a different meaning altogether. Not only do you sacrifice in the name of Allah, you actually give away share of the meat to the poor to eat. None of this meat is to go wasted. Any person who eats meat should be aware that the meat was once a living animal that was slaughtered specifically so that they could eat.
As a matter of fact, Islam also enjoins the duty to eat the meat of any animal one goes out to hunt. There are strict rules not to kill any animal unless you’re going to eat it. Hunting for the sake of recreation is strictly prohibited in Islam.
Moreover, as per the Islamic principles of slaughter, the animal must be slain in the kindest way possible. It is to be done with a very sharp knife across the jugular vein, so the animal loses consciousness immediately. Prayers are said throughout the proceedings. Killings the animal in this way causes very little pain or distress, and the blood drains away easily.
I remember weeping when animals were slain in my house – right in front of me – but yes, I also remember that while distributing the meat amongst the needy, I was showered with blessings.
So, that brings me to the end of the description of the sacrifice itself along with the reason why it is done.
Many Muslims living in Europe and America feel that practices such as these are a nuisance to the human civilization and we cannot do anything to please an omnipresent God – who refuses to show up when we need him. However, as I always maintained – religion, faith or belief is a very personal thing. I was born with a mind of my own and I have no right to tell someone to think like me. And so, this will always be an endless argument whether the animal sacrifice is justified or not. For some people it is – for others, it will continue to be an act of cruelty towards animals.
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