As elsewhere across the globe, the Muslims of Bangladesh celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Adha on the 10th day of Zilhajj, the 12th and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This festival of sacrifice is observed to commemorate prophet Ibrahim (pbuh)'s readiness to sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail (pbuh), as commanded by the Almighty Allah. This was an act of total submission to the will of the Creator by prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) to seek His blessing. So, this holy occasion is not purely about sacrificing animals and the festivities that follow. It essentially symbolises the spirit of ultimate sacrifice to seek divine blessings of the Almighty for the well-being of the Muslim ummah as well as the greater humanity.
The Muslims who are financially capable raise or buy and slaughter animals such as sheep, goat, cow or camel on this day to mark the holy religio-historical occasion of great spiritual significance. In essence, it is about cultivating the spirit of sacrificing one's most beloved possession to the cause of faith. But there are some people who like to buy the bigger and more expensive sacrificial animals just to display their pomp and money power. This mars the very purpose as well as the sanctity of the occasion. There are also other instances of callousness during the festival of sacrifice that go against the basic tenets of the faith.
For instance, though the scriptures dictate that the animals to be sacrificed have to be treated with due care and sensitivity both before and during their slaughter, this in many cases is not done in its true spirit, especially in Dhaka and other major urban centres of the country. As a result, the sacrificial animals are often unwittingly made to suffer. This amounts to lack of compassion for the animals sacrificed and so goes against the teachings of Islam. Worse yet, the blood and body parts of the slain animals are often found to litter the roads and alleys of different city neigbourhoods, which is irreligious, unhygienic and unethical. In this regard, the responsibility falls on the Islamic scholars and religious leaders to remind the believers of their duty to maintain the sanctity of the holy occasion in all its aspects while celebrating it. Its spiritual aspects apart, this religious festival has also its worldlier, economic dimensions.
According to an estimate, fifty per cent of the raw material, i.e. rawhide, for the country's tannery industry is produced and collected on this day. Considering that this rawhide is entirely domestic in origin, its contribution to the national economy need not be overemphasised. For farmers who raise sacrificial animals, people who take lease and run the marketplaces where animals are traded, operators of transports carrying animals to the cattle markets or customers' homes, raw hide dealers, middlemen, butchers, you name it, they all look forward to this day. Working people, in particular, find this day more rewarding than any normal day. Islamic charitable organisations including religious schools also depend largely on this holy occasion for donations in the form of the sacrificed animals' skins and meat. It is hoped that notwithstanding the financial stress the common people are going through due to skyrocketing prices of essentials, the country's Muslim community will celebrate this Eid-ul-Azha with due solemnity, dignity and restraint.
Eid Mubarak to all.
