Be it any religion, violence is never necessary but as the customs suggest, it was done in ancient times to show that one is willing to sacrifice his most precious belonging for his God so we can say that was justified in a sense. Coming to the present, I personally believe that if an animal (which isn’t a protected species) is killed, not for fun but for food or any other genuine use in a humane way, is not something condemning. Humans are genetically omnivores and eating meat is not a wrong thing if it isn’t done illegally.
First and most important when you look at scriptures of Islam it says not to eat food that is haram. It says dead meat is haram. So, this condition clearly says not to eat dead meat. No meat is alive to be eaten. It’s always dead meat so I’m not sure how this can be interpreted differently. Why would God want such a thing to be done and it raises the question how can he be merciful if he allows this or wants this in his name? These are the traditions made by humans in the name of GOD or Allah, and in 21st century of India one needs to amend these rigid rules.
Ramzan and Muharram, whether the essence of fasting during Ramzan and sacrifice had been lost? Muslims have made Tamasha (scene) of the rituals. Qurbani means sacrificing something close to your heart and sharing with others. Today, you buy a goat from the market for sacrifice. It is something to think about, it is a matter of common sense, we all should ask ourselves how sacrificing another life earns us any goodwill, not only that but it is important to “understand the meaning of rituals and festivals” or they can be misused. The community has made a mockery of Muharram. It is meant for mourning and they take out processions. Meanwhile if we go in depth, it’s not only Muslims but even Hindu and others who believe in the concept of sacrifice, which is really meaningless. Killing an innocent animal in the name of god, cannot be a holy event and I am sure no god wants lacerates of its own creation by another invention. These are rigid religious beliefs, as many other religious philosophies, if we really keep on debating on right wrong then believe me, we will find everyone wrong and no one right. But religion actually has no conscientious understanding, it’s just a conditioning and one need to go with it.
Moreover, in India, there is no blanket ban on animal sacrifice. There exists, however, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules 2017, notified by the environment ministry, considered highly controversial. Under the Rules, the sale of cattle is banned for slaughter, including for religious purposes. However, goats and poultry are exempted. But the Rules — and the food safety standards — do demand that animals must be slaughtered at registered abattoirs and follow certain guidelines. Yet, as is the case with every rule in India, even these are not followed, especially in the case of most ritualistic animal sacrifices. In 2014, one of the petitions in the Bombay High Court asked for temporary locations for the slaughter of large animals, since the abattoirs are chaotic and unpleasant during the festival. Another petition sought to prevent this because this unhygienic meat would cause problems to people who ate it. While festivals bring all kinds of revelry along with them, the basic values of health, sanitation and hygiene cannot be neglected. The order is to be welcomed as it tries to resolve the issue of hygiene and sanitation — and without affecting the traditional fervor associated with the festival.
Cow and Calf slaughter was recently banned in Maharashtra — a move that took almost two decades to materialize and was initiated during the previous Sena-BJP government. This year there is a lot of confusion over cutting the goats in open space, Eid-ul-Adha is observed on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar. While Muslims all around the world celebrate this day, it has particular significance for the pilgrims performing the hajj in order to understand the context of Eid-ul-Adha, one must describe the Hajj with which it is associated. Over the time, however, the spread of worship across Arabia caused the rituals of hajj to become extremely distorted. With the advent of Islam and Prophet Muhammad, Allah had reinstated Hajj as the fifth pillar of Islam, and described the correct manner in which it was to be performed. In addition to signifying the completion of the hajj, Eid-ul-Adha honors the enormous sacrifice that was to be made by Prophet Abraham. The story narrated behind sacrifice follows as Abraham was ordered by Allah to sacrifice his dearly beloved son, Ismail, as a test of obedience. Abraham willingly submitted to Allah’s command, wherein Allah, by His Mercy, replaced Ismail at the moment of sacrifice with a lamb. Abraham’s selfless act of obedience is honored by the sacrifice of a domestic animal such as a lamb, sheep, cow, or goat, the meat of which is then distributed to relatives, neighbors, and the poor. I mean, why Allah has chosen a poor Goat that only Allah can answer, but in COVID19 pandemic situation mass cuttings should be avoided.
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