Dhakat is an Arabic word used to explain “lawful slaughter” in Islamic law which means to gain fulfillment. According to some Muslim scholars, it is defined as it follows: “ To kill an animal through the legally prescribed method that makes its meat lawful for a Muslim.”
Slaughtering an animal is a way to praise Allah (S.W.T) out of happiness and benevolence in Islam. There are specific situations for slaughtering animals in Islam. Among them, slaughtering are legalized by the Sharee’ah: 1. Sacrifice done by pilgrims upon completing Hajj 2. Udhiyya by non-pilgrims after Eid-ul-Ad’haa, and 3. Aqeeqah.
Udhiyya illustrates the slaughtering of an animal of the an’aam class (i.e. camel, cow or sheep) during the days of Eid-ul-Ad’haa. Falling on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah of the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid-ul-Ad’haa is an important festival for Muslims around the globe which is associated with hajj. This event is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice. It is a reminder of two relevant Islamic events: The pilgrimage (Hajj) in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia and the sacrifice that Allah (S.W.T) instructed to Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) of his son, Ismail to test his faith in Allah (S.W.T).
Hajj is a difficult journey for the pilgrim towards spiritual cleansing. If the pilgrim accomplishes their Hajj with absolute sincerity and humility, all the sins that a person has committed in the past year will be forgiven by Allah. The last ceremony that the pilgrim must perform, is to sacrifice a domestic animal to mark the fulfillment of the Hajj. It is not only about religious routines, but it also teaches about the bonding between one another.
Udhiyya is a time of recollection of the hardships that Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) had to go through. It represents the commemorative sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)’ s son, Ismail by Allah’s order, although his love for his son was unbounded. His faith did not quiver, neither did he pressurize his son to obey this order. Instead Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) clarified everything to Ismail and he responded with faith in Allah. Hearing his son’s response, Ibrahim (PBUH) submitted to Allah (S.W.T)’s command without hesitation. Allah (S.W.T) replaced Ismail at the very moment of sacrifice with an animal by seeing Ibrahim (PBUH)’s obedience and allowed them to remain together. Eid-ul-Ad’haa is a way for Muslims to remember Ibrahim’s absolute trust in Allah (S.W.T). There are some conflicts among Muslim scholars, whether it is sunnah or wajib. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Udhiyah is Sunnah mu’akkadah for the one who is able to do it, so a person should offer the sacrifice on behalf of himself and the members of his household.” (Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/661)
Nevertheless, there is an agreement that Udhiyya is a means to please Allah (S.W.T). Allah mentions in Al Quran:“It is not their flesh nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches him.” (Surah Al-Haj 22:37)
For mankind’s care, Eid sacrifice is divided among the poor, community, and self. Some parts of the world restrict Muslims from sacrificing animals. Therefore, they donate money to charitable organizations. Udhiyya tests the charitable manners of Muslims in their cooperative effort. It strengthens a person’s discipline, self-denial, and dedication to the Allah’s will.
Even in this era, Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-ad’haa as traditional to their religious cultures. People of all ages, should gladly participate in these occasions for the sake of Allah’s pleasure.
References
Al-Fawzan, D. S. (2005). A summary of Islamic Jurisprudence Volume 1. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Al-Maiman publishing house.
Philips, D. A. (2003). A commentary on the book of TAWHEED part 1. Ajman, UAE.
Usmani, M. M. (2006). The Islamic Laws of Animal Slaughter.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2014/10/hajj-2014-considering-alternatives-to-the-animal-sacrifice-qurbani-of-eid-ul-adha/
http://www.whyislam.org/submission/five-pillars-of-islam-2/pilgrimage/festival-of-the-sacrifice/
http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_51_100/aqeeqah.htm
Written by: Nazmun
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