Moomin Ahmad Rather
Eid-ul-Azha holds special appeal owing to the fact that animals are sacrificed . The practice of qurbani can be traced back to [Ibrahim AS], who dreamt that God ordered him to sacrifice his most precious thing. Ibhrahim(AS) was in a dilemma as he couldn’t determine what was his most precious thing. Then he realized it was his son’s life. He had faith in God’s command. He let his son know the purpose why he was taking his son out of their home. His son Ismail agreed to follow God’s command, however, God intervened and informed him that his sacrifice had been accepted. From that day onward, Muslims around the world, once in a year, slaughter an animal to commemorate Ibrahim’s(AS) sacrifice as an obedience towards God. As the Eid comes close, people purchase the sacrificial animals that fits in their budget and fulfills their religious needs. On this auspicious occasion people do verily take care of the cleanliness of their homes, but do not take care of the cleanliness of their surrounding at all.The waste is improperly disposed in our surrounding. For a religion which preaches that cleanliness is half of faith(Imaan) , these practices are strongly condemnable.Remember that slaughtering a sacrificial animal and taking its meat home does not end the work, but it is also necessary to keep our surroundings clean. Instead of leaving the sacrificial animal’s filth there or throwing it around or throwing it in front of someone else’s house, take proper care of it so that it is clean and does not hurt anyone. Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both its physical and spiritual aspects. On the physical side, Islam requires the Muslim to clean his body, his clothes, his house, and the whole community, and he is rewarded by God for doing so. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, for example:“Removing any harm from the road is charity “. While people generally consider cleanliness a desirable attribute, Islam insists on it , making it an indispensable fundamental of the faith. A Muslim is required to be pure morally and spiritually as well as physically. Through the Qur’an and Sunnah Islam requires the sincere believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life. The Almighty Allah commends those who are accustomed to cleanliness.
Although the Qurbani is done individually at homes, a collective responsibility lies on all of us to do it without causing inconvenience. May Allah Almighty grant us purity of appearance and inwardness and grant us the ability to remain clean.
Our efforts to have a hygienic Eid will not only be beneficial to all but also will clear the many misunderstandings about the festival. The main aim of the festival is to remind about the sacrifice of prophet Ibrahim and also to help the poor and needy.In the zest of doing things we forget the spirit of the rituals; if not done properly the very spirit is damaged. It is not about how many Qurbani a family can afford to give but also about how well you can do it, fulfilling the aim of distributing it among the actual people who need it. Following simple measures about safety and hygiene is all that needed. Remember! Human nature is quick to accept the effects of its surroundings and the effects of good or bad environment are inevitable on human life, so man should play active role to keep his house, neighborhood and area clean. The cleanliness of the home, the neighborhood and the area reflects the sophistication, good mood, dignified life and beautiful thinking of the people of the society. The religion of Islam commands its believers to be clean, whether it be physical or spiritual, individual or community, home or neighborhood. We are all well aware of the destruction caused by Covid-19, in such circumstances it becomes obligatory for all the muslims to take care of the cleanliness factor and keep the surroundings neat and clean . Every effort should be made to make surroundings as clean and hygienic as possible. Mosques should act as community centres, should start educating the people much before the Eid. Committees formed in the local masjids should monitor the entire processes; youngsters should volunteer to oversee the arrangements. Although the Qurbani is done individually at homes, a collective responsibility lies on all to do it without causing inconvenience. May Allah Almighty grant us purity of appearance and inwardness and grant us the ability to remain clean.
(The author is a freelancer and writes regularly for Kashmir Horizon. Views are his own) [email protected]
