Qurbani: Before and After in Pakistan

The Pros and Cons of Qurbani in Pakistan

10^th Zil-Hajj of Islamic calendar marks the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha all over the muslim world. It is an even of great religious fervor and jubilation. In Pakistan Baqr Eid, as some call it, is celebrated with huge excitement. The preparations for the festive occasion starts well in advance with the animals for sacrifice being the star attraction. People of all ages, mostly children wait anxiously for this event all year as they enjoy it the most.

As mentioned above, the animals for sacrifice especially cows, bulls and goats are bought by people to perform the sacrificial act is offered to God in the remembrance of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S who tried to sacrifice his son to Allah. The meat is largely distributed among the relatives and needy people who can’t afford to buy or eat meat during the whole year.

Temporary cattle markets are setup across the length and breadth of the country from where the people buy goats, sheep, cows, camels, etc to sacrifice. This business is a major source of income for many industries, for example, the skin of animals are used in the leather industry for making shoes and other items related to leather.

The Season for Children to Rejoice

For at least 10 days or so, there is a festive environment all over the country. The animals for sacrifice are decorated and kept with great care. Children especially enjoy these days with taking care of those animals and take them for a ride and making sure they eat a lot of food and drink water so that they remain fit and healthy right till the day of sacrifice.

The Adverse Aspects of Qurbani inPakistan

But there is a downside amid all the fun and festive mood. People tend to block the streets and even main thoroughfares that cause much nuisance and hardship to people who use these to commute. This is mainly done in the name of security but there is no justification for causing trouble to other peoples for your sake. Another negative aspect is the litter and waste that spreads all over the area where the animals are kept. This is perhaps lack of common sense and care for the other people which cause these hardships for others.

And once the sacrificial act is done, there is more garbage on the streets and everywhere in Pakistan. The leftovers of animals after they are slaughtered are dumped onto the streets and open areas making the whole area polluted with pungent smell prevailing for many days. But people do bear these one or two negative aspects as this a religious obligation for every muslim to sacrifice animals if he has enough disposable money.