MUMBAI: The festival of Eid ul' Azha that is being celebrated on Wednesday mirrors the same spirit as Eid ul' Fitr which comes at the end of the Ramzan fast. Each places emphasis on making sacrifices in the way of
Allah
Almighty, each makes sure the have-nots are well fed and cared for this day.
Eid ul' Azha or Eid ul' Zuha, commonly known as
Bakri Eid
, is a three-day festival that is celebrated from the 10th day of the Islamic month of Zulhijja, the final month of the calendar. It commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to offer his son Ismail for Allah's sake. As Prophet Ibrahim brought the scimitar down, the child was mysteriously replaced by a ram. It is this episode that forms the core of the concurrent Hajj pilgrimage.
Mumbai celebrates Eid ul' Zuha from the evening of Wednesday, August 21 to the evening of Friday, August 23. Mosques in the city have created pens where goats are tethered for
sacrifice
. The Andheri Muslim Qabrastan Masjid at Four Bungalows in Andheri has 50 animals, each colour coded or tagged with the name of its owner for easy identification.
Trustee Atiqbhai Kashmiri offers nine goats, the strongest and best in the name of Prophet Mohammed, followed by others for various relatives by way of Esaal e' Sawaab (the act of dedicating the rewards of one's good deeds to another person).
"It is not the flesh and blood of your animal that Allah requires, it is your niyat (intent). Although the stipulated division of sacrificial meat is that a third be reserved for relatives, another third given to poor people and the rest for oneself, I prefer to distribute 90% of the meat among poor Muslims and non-Muslims. We finish cleaning, cutting and distributing by 11.30am-12.00 noon so the households can cook the mutton at lunch on Eid day," he says. "We have acquaintances who come from nearby Kapaswadi, Indira Nagar and Anand Nagar to faroff Govandi and Boisar to collect meat for distribution in their localities. They bring lists of beneficiaries so it is a transparent, fair process."
Like other mosques, Andheri Qabrastan Masjid allots the qurbani timing for each goat by draw of lots so that the owner of multiple goats does not bunch his animals together and delay the rest. The slaughter process is completed by late afternoon, and the remaining goats are taken up the following day.
"A large goat weighing 80-100 kg yields 60-70 kg of mutton. Around 30% is wastage," says Atiqbhai.
Mufti Salim Ahmed, who officiates at the mosque, says it is incumbent upon all Muslims who have the means to offer Zakat to also offer qurbani. "This animal will stand like a shield between its master and the blaze of hellfire in the Aakhirat (afterlife). One must choose a strong animal without any injury or defect since it is this animal that will be one's mount in the afterlife," he said. "It must be over a year old. That is the minimum age requirement."
Several children are among the minders at this makeshift animal farm in Four Bungalows. The goats eat out of their palms, headbutt them, nuzzle and trail them wherever they go, evoking a deep affection within hours. The hour of separation is the litmus test of Eid ul' Azha.