Being a Muslim, I was taught that the Qurban was in honour of our Prophet Ibrahim's (or Abraham in the Western world) act of sacrifice. If my memory serves me right (based on my religious lessons) and my sincerest apologies if my facts are wrong or distorted, Prophet Ibrahim had badly wanted a son and asked God to be blessed with one. I believed when Prophet Ismail (or Ishmael) was finally born into the world, Prophet Ibrahim had spent years waiting for his son. Then God tested Prophet Ibrahim's devotion to Him by asking Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice Prophet Ismail. God wanted to see whether Prophet Ibrahim's love for his son could be outdone by the Prophet's belief in carrying out God's words and faith. Being a true servant of the faith, Prophet Ibrahim agreed to sacrifice Prophet Ismail. The Prophet had already prepared to kill his son and that was when God sent the angel Jibrail (or Gabriel) to commend the Prophet for his display of true devotion. Jibrail relayed God's message to Prophet Ibrahim, namely not to kill Prophet Ismail and instead, slaughter an animal in his son's place.
So that was how the Qurban (sacrifice) or Eid Adha is celebrated by Muslims every year since. Eid Adha is also commonly referred by many Muslims as Raya Haji as it is intended to celebrate those pilgrims who had successfully performed their Haj. As a Muslim, we are to ensure that we carry out the 5 pillars of faith (which is akin toMoses' 10 Commandments) in our lifetime, the last one being the performance of Haj. Haj is, based on my understanding, the complete submission to God by carrying out a series of religious requirements in the holy lands of Mecca and Medina. Once a Muslim has performed the Haj, he or she is expected to be free from worldly desires and become a devoted Muslim in preparing for the afterlife.
Although I laud the remarkable act of faith by Prophet Ibrahim (how many would have the courage to do what he almost did) and enjoy the Eid Adha celebrations, my heart does go out to those cows. Before you call me a hypocrite and start to remind me of the many beef patties I have consumed over the years, let me explain. Cows, like chickens and lambs, will most probably end up on our plates in various forms, sizes and dishes. That is a fact no one should deny.
So that was how the Qurban (sacrifice) or Eid Adha is celebrated by Muslims every year since. Eid Adha is also commonly referred by many Muslims as Raya Haji as it is intended to celebrate those pilgrims who had successfully performed their Haj. As a Muslim, we are to ensure that we carry out the 5 pillars of faith (which is akin toMoses' 10 Commandments) in our lifetime, the last one being the performance of Haj. Haj is, based on my understanding, the complete submission to God by carrying out a series of religious requirements in the holy lands of Mecca and Medina. Once a Muslim has performed the Haj, he or she is expected to be free from worldly desires and become a devoted Muslim in preparing for the afterlife.
Although I laud the remarkable act of faith by Prophet Ibrahim (how many would have the courage to do what he almost did) and enjoy the Eid Adha celebrations, my heart does go out to those cows. Before you call me a hypocrite and start to remind me of the many beef patties I have consumed over the years, let me explain. Cows, like chickens and lambs, will most probably end up on our plates in various forms, sizes and dishes. That is a fact no one should deny.
Notwithstanding the above, I do however feel that there should be a better (or humane) way for animals to die. Like those cows that I saw yesterday (which by now, would have been nothing but plastic bags of meat distributed to houses), I hate to put myself in their 'shoes'. Imagine you being tied at tree no. 13 and together with you are cows tied to trees no. 1 to 12. From where you are roped, you would be able to see how a group of male humans would start to slaughter cow no. 1. Then, they would move on to cow no. 2 and the next and the next. You could see them inching closer to you with every cow slaughtered and yet, you're unable to escape. You know you will suffer the same fate but by the time it's your turn, you would have 'died' repeated deaths.
Perhaps it's just me but I think animals have feelings too. They may not have the brains to think about world policies but they're able to grasp the concept of mortality. Even if we're to slaughter a cow in the name of Qurban, a religious act should not be an excuse for us not to be humane. Would it be so wrong for the cows to be slaughtered in a closed tent far from the eyes of other cows? Why must it be done in the open and cause massive heart attacks to the cows which are still living?
Religion is also about compassion and I believe in that, strongly. We're taught to be compassionate not only to fellow mortals but to all beings. After all, every single thing on this Earth whether living or non-living, is a creation of God. I don't believe God wants us to be cruel in carrying out His commands. But somewhere along the line, we must have erred. In our bid to perform an act of faith, we closed our eyes and hardened our hearts. That, I must say, is a pity.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to my fellow Muslim brethren.
Perhaps it's just me but I think animals have feelings too. They may not have the brains to think about world policies but they're able to grasp the concept of mortality. Even if we're to slaughter a cow in the name of Qurban, a religious act should not be an excuse for us not to be humane. Would it be so wrong for the cows to be slaughtered in a closed tent far from the eyes of other cows? Why must it be done in the open and cause massive heart attacks to the cows which are still living?
Religion is also about compassion and I believe in that, strongly. We're taught to be compassionate not only to fellow mortals but to all beings. After all, every single thing on this Earth whether living or non-living, is a creation of God. I don't believe God wants us to be cruel in carrying out His commands. But somewhere along the line, we must have erred. In our bid to perform an act of faith, we closed our eyes and hardened our hearts. That, I must say, is a pity.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to my fellow Muslim brethren.
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