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To celebrate is natural. Allah knows man because He created man and knows what brings happiness to man. By man, I mean man and woman. No one should accuse me of being gender insensitive. He categorically mentions it in the Qur’an “For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies which they perform” (Q 22: 67). Not to be ceremonious on this special day might be said to be against human nature. But many are not in celebrating mood; and one may not blame them. Many are sick—battling with life-threatening ailments. Many are in huge mountainlike debt with no breathing space for celebration. Many are even completely oblivious of this upcoming special day because they are in chains—in prison or in kidnappers’ den. Yet, a lot more Nigerians are in chains of poverty. May Allah cure the sick, free the chained, and ease the affairs of the impoverished. May He continue to make the comfortable more comfortable.
Whether one is in good mood or not, the fact is that Muslims all over the world are about to celebrate another once-in-a-year festival which comes up on Wednesday, Allah willing. Let’s remain resilient. Let’s pretend to be in celebrating mood on this special day even if our conditions were critical. Let’s seize the opportunity of this greatest day—Yaumul Hajjil Akbar—to present our greatest problems—for solution—to the Most Great, the Most High. Our minor problems too should not be left out during the presentation. He knows every detail of our problems (more than we do) before we present them to Him. But we still have to present them to Him (the Almighty)—for solution—because tradition demands that we do so. This, on our part, is a sign of humility before His Majesty Who commands us to worship Him; yet our worships benefit Him not.
One of the ways to worship Allah on this great day is to make sacrifice. It is to slaughter a goat, a ram, a cow, or a camel in that order of ascending significance. In other words, camel is the best—most preferred. Though some say ram is. Obviously, the benefit of slaughtering camel is way greater than ram in terms of volume (quantity) and that benefits the masses more than ram. Not only text but also common sense favors camel over ram. Two years ago, I briefly discussed camel/cow superiority over ram in my article titled “Sallah Rams: The Burden of Slaughtering As Food Prices Hit Our National Assembly Roof.”
Next, can a Muslim steal ram to celebrate Sallah? Obviously, no. But there are subtle ways people “steal” ram to celebrate Sallah. Parents who make it mandatory for their grown-up but poor children to slaughter ram for them or earn their wrath might be thieves who indirectly steal. Similarly, wives who—while addressing their not well-to-do husbands—insist to choose between ram and divorce are not also helping matters. Under this asphyxiating economy? This could only lead to stealing for the sake of Allah; and anyone who steals for the sake of Allah is already hovering over the Hell or skirting around it. Thieves don’t have good relationship with Allah. No one should steal for the sake of Allah.
There is also a kind of theft which I find cringingly ridiculous. It is often committed by those who should know. That is the imposed obligation on worshippers to provide sacrificial animal for their imams. It is often said that no one should slaughter their sacrificial animals on Sallah day until the imam does. Phew! What if an imam could not or does not slaughter? That is the point: the fable of gifting ram to imams. These imams ehn!
Pay attention. You can gift ram to your imam just like your gift of ram to any Muslim. You will have your reward and the imam will also enjoy the ram. But are Muslims mandated to donate ram to their imams? No. But wouldn’t it be shameful that an imam does not offer a sacrifice—especially if he leads the ‘Id Prayer? Where is the shame coming from when great companions and Khalifahs like Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (RA) celebrated Sallah without offering any sacrifice? But why wouldn’t great companions offer sacrifice when they had the means and were far pious? This tells you it is not obligatory as many think.
Though scholars are divided on this, the minority contend that it is obligatory. Their evidence? “Therefore, turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice” (Qur’an 108:2). The Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever can afford it but does not offer a sacrifice, let him not come near our prayer place” (Ibn Majah, 3123). Another hadith says “O people, each household, each year, must offer a sacrifice” (Trimidhi, 1596). These hadiths are said to be weak and could not be acted upon. Yet, acting upon these hadiths, and other weak evidences, the minority scholars—one of which is the respected Ibn Taymiyyah (RA)—argue that Udhiyah (offering sacrifice) is obligatory.
The other category of scholars who are the majority aver that offering sacrifice is not obligatory. To them, it is a Sunnah which may be forgone. I mean, one can miss it. Their evidence? The Prophet (SAW) said: “When the ten days of Dhul Hijjah begin and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, he should not remove anything from his hair or nails” (Muslim, 1977). Scholars derived from this hadith absence of obligation (non-obligatoriness) since the instruction in it is conditioned upon “want”. That is to say, if one does not want to offer a sacrifice (though they have the means), the choice is theirs. If this had been the only evidence of the majority, it wouldn’t have been sufficient for the condition “want” is debatable.
However, there are reports that many companions of the Prophet (SAW)—including Abu Bakr and ‘Umar—did not offer sacrifice during ‘Idul Adha. These reports clarify all ambiguities. And why didn’t they offer sacrifice? Because, according to them, they did not want the people think it was obligatory. Imam Bayhaqi narrated that Abu Sarihah said: ”I lived during the time of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar; they were neighbors of mine, and they did not offer Udhiyah (see مَعْرِفَةُ السُنَنِ وَالْآثَار). In another report, a companion, Abu Mas’ood al-Ansari, said: “I refrain from offering the udhiyah even though I can afford it, for the fear that my neighbor may think it is a must for me.” These reports are authentic, authenticated by Muhaddithul ‘Asr (Master of hadiith of this era), Nasiruddeen al-Albani (RA) and many scholars before him. Since the Prophet’s hadiths are said to be best understood through the salaf (the companions), it is most correct and we are duty-bound to say offering sacrifice is not obligatory—with means or without means.
In summary, what did we learn? We learnt that: (1) it is neither Sunnah nor obligatory to steal ram for the sake of Allah; (2) offering sacrifice for ‘idul Adha is not compulsory, even for the rich; (3) our parents, wives, and children should not push us to slaughter ram by all means; (4) no one should buy ram for any imam with the notion that it is compulsory to do so; (5) imams, like any other Muslim, can be given a gift of sacrificial animal by anyone who so wish, and they (imams) can also give out; (6) companions of the Prophet are way pious than any Muslim on earth, yet offering sacrifice, to them, is not a do or die affair; and (7) if you are a Nigerian in Nigeria, don’t forget that this is a new regime with its spectacularly tough and devastating hardship (we hope it will abate soon), so, be careful when spending.
I wrote an article last year titled “How not to celebrate Sallah”, readers may read it and learn how not to over celebrate. Readers! Please, don’t forget me in your prayers, and probably when distributing your meat, as I barka you da Sallah in advance. May Allah have mercy on us, guide us and our leaders.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
