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Towards an Eid less squeamish

I read an Instagram post recently that spoke about how Qurbani at Eid ul Adha has become very clinical. Placing an order online for Qurbani to happen elsewhere in the world, often shopping for the cheapest option has become quite normal.

Seldom do we go and view our own Qurbani, or even take the knife to do our own slaughter. We live in squeamish times.

The Benefit of witnessing your own Qurbani:

Hazrat Ali (R.A) reports that Rasulullah (S.A.w) said to Hazrat Fatimah (R.A):

“O Fatimah! Go and witness your Qurbani, because the first drop of blood that falls from it causes all your sins to be forgiven. On the Day of Qiyamah, this animal will be brought with its blood and flesh and will be placed on your scale increasing it seventy times more.

I remember as a child, 5 or 6 years old, at my grandmothers house, they would slaughter their own chickens. A messy affair that could be horrifying and fascinating at the same time. But surrounded by family it became more of a practical exercise. We would help to dunk the headless creatures into boiling water and pull the feathers out, so that it could then be cut and cleaned ready to go into the pot for Eid lunch.

Yes, we knew very well where our food came from and there was no illusions even at that young age. But I look at my 10 year old son today, and he has not experienced anything like that at all. Our meat comes from the supermarket shelves or local butcher, neatly cut and packed ready to just be washed and tossed into the pot.

The ease with which we bypass the act of Qurbani nowadays has made us soft. We are uncomfortable with the reality of seeing a live animal slaughtered, getting blood on our hands and the smell of the sacrifice in the air. And yet we easily consume tons of meat as part of the global community that currently over-farms unsustainably to meet the demand.

The post I read has given me pause and made me realise that I had stopped doing my Qurbani in a conscious way for many years. I last witnessed my Qurbani over 10 years ago. I feel the need to return to times when Qurbani was the main focus of Eid ul Adha rather than the laden Eid table, glitzy decor and perfect outfit.

For the sake of raising a son who is stronger, more conscious, and emotionally tougher, I aim to make our next Baqri Eid one that is rather less squeamish, InshaAllah.

Eid Mubarak my dear friends.
With love
Dilshad

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