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I am personally not excited that ‘Idul Adha is around the corner. I was so absent-minded of its approach until my students in the Islaamiyyah drew my attention to it. They importuned: ‘Malam, when shall we have Sallah Break?’ I understand their excitement. They are kids. They are not in the know. To them, all is well. To us (the parents), all is wrong. They could not understand why Malam is so nonchalant as if Sallah has lost meaning to him. So they think.
My students are right to think the way they think. I am also not wrong for being nonchalant. Though Sallah has not lost meaning to Malam, it is the general volatility of prices of things that weighs Malam down. Most Nigerian parents understand what Malam is going through as the shoes they wear also pinch them the way Malam’s shoe pinches him. We are living in a hard time; though all hopes are not lost—and hopefully they will not.
It should be noted that this coming festival is not a cultural one. It is rooted in the Islamic scripture—the Quran. You may wish to read the whole of Suratul Hajj—Qur’an Chapter 22. But if you are so engrossed in the activities of this Dunya (the World), all is not lost. You can read just from verse 34-37. I think that will be sufficient to get the point.
But I don’t understand Arabic! You don’t what? This excuse is not sound. You can read the translation of its meaning in your language. If your language is not a major language and has not merited Qur’an’s translation, read its meaning in your official language. In Nigeria, it is English. If you still could not read it in your official language, your condition is pitiful. This is the only way I can put it. In addition, you do not belong to the modern world. Also, your Islam is at stake for your lack of the basic tool to understand it. To practise Islam with ignorance is catastrophic. This is a topic on its own—I will not digress.
Let’s turn our lens to Sallah ram, its import and its price. Ram’s price has skyrocketed unprecedentedly in the history of Nigeria. For instance, with your N80, 000, your children may not appreciate the value you get for it. By ‘value’ here I mean ram. You may need N150, 000-N250, 000 to get a befitting ram that will be appreciated by your family. Though, that is not important. What is important is to slaughter to please Allah; not to please your family.
Ram is not alone, virtually every item (consumable or non-consumable) share the same fate. Some argue that this phenomenal increase in prices of commodities is not peculiar to Nigeria. They compare Nigeria with the United States. While it is true that many countries witness increase in prices (no thanks to COVID-19), comparing the United States with Nigeria is diversionary, deceptive, and unhelpful.
The increase in food prices according to the Economic Research Service in the US is between less than 1 to 5 percent. But in Nigeria, there are cases where food prices increased by 200%. So what are we comparing? Prices of staples/foodstuffs in Nigeria not only hit the roof, it burst it. This has affected not only our residential roofs, the National Assembly’s Roof has fallen victim too. This vindicates our assertion that all is not well. It also exonerates us from the angst of those who think we are dramatizing the ugly reality. It is this bad.
National Assembly leaking? Its roof so diarrheic to occasion a flood? And dozens of buckets needed to empty the flooded Senate Chamber? This is unprecedentedly unprecedented. I don’t even know how to put it. Take it as it is. The most important thing is that the point is clear—life in Nigeria is difficult, terrible and suffocating. Though all hopes are not lost—God willing, we shall bounce back to a greater height.
But must we slaughter ram for Sallah? No. However in some households, the lack of ram or its absence during this festive period could put asunder marital unions that were supposedly united in the name of God. Why are Muslims so desperate to slaughter ram as if Sallah is invalid without the presence of ram?
First and foremost, offering sacrifice for ‘Idul Adha is strongly encouraged but it is not compulsory—even for one who has the means. Also, I don’t know of any religion that preaches ‘cut your coat according to your cloth’ like Islam. Thus, it is wrong for Muslims who do not have the means to be caught up in the cobweb of debt by hurling themselves into the murky water of debt because they want to slaughter ram (which is not compulsory in the first place). Incurring debt to make festive slaughtering is not pleasing to Allah. In fact, one might be incurring His wrath. I hope we understand this.
Furthermore, we have conventionalized offering ram as sacrifice as if it is the only approved sacrificial animal; and as if it is the most virtuous and the most precious. No wonder, the price of a ram (in this period of festivities) equals that of a camel or a cow; or even more. In Islam, sacrificial animals for the purpose of ‘Idul Adha are camels, cows, and sheep.
It should be noted that some scholars [all the three imams excluding Malik (RA)] opine that camel is the best for sacrifice, then cow, then sheep, then to share in a sacrifice. And it is more logical to think so for these two reasons.
One, as many as seven people can come together to slaughter a camel or a cow but only one person is permitted to slaughter a sheep (ram or ewe). Two, if Alhaji Alameen slaughters a Very Big Ram (as usual) while Malam Abdulkadir goes for a camel, which prices might be equal, the latter will reach out to more people (in terms of meat distribution) than the former because of the size of what he slaughters.
While this is not an attempt to de-market ram—I know some ram sellers will not be happy with me and this write up—it is to present to us other better alternatives which are not only economical, but in sync with the present reality.
But some scholars (notably Imam Malik) said ram is the best! Yes! They have their arguments too. It is only that I am personally more convinced and more comfortable with camel as the best based on the reasons I gave above. However, the choice is yours; and mine is mine. The most important thing is piety; not the price or the size or the sweetness of what we slaughter (See Qur’an 22:37).
And you should remember that those kidnapped Islaamiyah kids are still in kidnappers’ den. Camel or ram is not their priority; and I know their parents too will be less concerned about what to slaughter or what not.
But would these kids celebrate Sallah in the forest having spent six weeks? Tears filled by eyes; rolling down my cheeks—I am literally crying. O Allah! Touch the hearts of these kidnappers, liberate these kids and all those in captivities. On this sad note, I wish you (all) happy Sallah in advance.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
