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Shocking Things We Found Out
Many people wonder why the price of Ram is always on the rise when Muslims are about to celebrate the Ileya Festival. This year alone, the cost of buying a small ram of about nine months or one-year-old that one could buy for between N60,000 and N75,000 a few years back, now cost between 200,000 and N250, 000, making it extremely difficult for Muslims who intend to slaughter ram for the Salah.
The question now is why do Muslims slaughter ram for Ileya Festival and what is the significance of ram slaughtering to the annual festival which is termed Eidul Kabir, which means a big festival?
Of course, there are other animals that could be slaughtered for Salah. They include; goat, cow, sheep, camel and buffalo but the most valid animal to slaughter is Ram. This is simply because of its historical allusion to the celebration.
The slaughtering of rams for Salah is an age-long religious practice in Islam. It can be traced to the time when Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful, directed Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son, Ismail, and in the process of trying to slaughter the child, Allah, in His infinite mercy, replaced the son with a ram.
Ever since the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the practice was revived and re-instituted in Islam. Prophet Muhammad in one of his traditions said: “On the 10th of Zil-Hijjah, there is no better act in the view of Allah than shedding the blood (of slaughtered animals). And verily sacrifice earns the approbation of Allah even before the drop of blood (of the slaughtered animal) falls on the ground. Hence you should offer it in good spirit. For every hair of the sacrificial animal, there is a blessing.”
Slaughtering of Ram is essential for Muslims who have the financial means and savings that remain surplus to his own needs over the years. It is essential for one’s own self. You can slaughter an animal for each member of your family. It may be offered, though it is not essential, for one’s deceased relations, too, in the hope of benediction and blessings for the departed souls.
When buying these animals to sacrifice, Muslims must take note of some criteria. Sacrifice of a goat or sheep less than one year old is not in order, unless the sheep is so strong and fat that it looks to be a full one year old. Cow should be at least two years old. Camels should not be less than five years old.
It is also important to note that sacrifice of an animal will not be in order if it is one eyed, or blind, or has lost one third or more of its eyesight, or one third or more of its tail, or its ear has been cut off, or it is lame, or its bones have no marrow, or it has no ears by birth or its horns have been broken from their roots, or it has no teeth at all. If the number of teeth intact exceeds the lost ones, it is permissible. If it has no horns by birth, or has less than one third broken horns, it is permissible.
While distributing the meat, Muslims should ensure they eat part of the meat of the sacrifice, give it to relations and friends, (to non-Muslims also) and also to the poor in charity. One third should be given in charity, but if it is less it will not be a sin. They should also make the intention of slaughtering the animal early enough. It is commendable that one who intends to offer a sacrifice should refrain from having a hair-cut, a shave, and pruning of nails, from the 1st of Dhul-Hijjah (up to the time he has performed the sacrifice). Intention In the first instance, one who proposes to offer sacrifice must make an intention to that effect.
To slaughter the animal for Salah, the animal for slaughter should be laid on its left side facing Kaaba and its throat cut open with a sharp knife, and its blood allowed to drain. In the case of a camel, it should be allowed to remain standing after its left fore-leg has been stringed. A sharp spear should then be thrust in its breast and on both sides of its neck, and the blood allowed to drain. And lastly, there is a short prayer to be said before slaughtering the animal. And it’s transliterated as “Bismillaahi wallahu ‘Akbar [Allaahumma minka wa laka] Allaahumma taqabbal minnee.”
It is translated as “In the Name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest! [Oh Allah, from You and to You.] Oh Allah, accept it from me.”
-Jamiu Abubakar
(08085185886)
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