Mumbai, July 8: Eid al-Adha or Bakrid, also misspelt as Bakra Eid, will be celebrated in India either on July 31 or August 1. Bakrid is one of the two major festivals celebrated by the Muslim community worldwide - the other being Eid al-Fitr. On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, financially stable Muslims are required to sacrifice or slaughter a bovine or cattle and distribute its meat among relatives and poor people as part of a ritual. Islam has a set of rules for slaughtering animals. These norms must be strictly followed while doing sacrifice of animals, says Islam. Check out these rules below:

  • The animal to be slaughtered on Bakra Eid must be from the categories that are permitted for Muslims to eat.

  • The animal must not be suffering from sickness at the time of slaughtering.

  • Slaughtering should be done out of sight of other animals, and a sharp knife must be used for the purpose.

  • The slaughtering must be done in one stroke without lifting the knife.

  • The windpipe (throat), food-tract (oesophagus) and the two jugular veins must be cut.

  • The swift cutting of veins of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain.

  • The head of the animal must not be removed wholly during slaughtering but later after the animal is entirely dead.

  • The slaughtering must be done manually not by a machine.

The ritual of animal slaughtering commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. Islam has laid down some rules for animal slaughtering for consumption or sacrifice to celebrate Bakra Eid. According to religious scriptures, Ibrahim was asked to sacrifice the dearest thing he possesses.

Hence, he decided to sacrifice the life of his son. His son Ismaeel too agreed to get killed as an act of obedience to God’s command. When Ibrahim attempted to cut the throat of his son, he was astonished to see that his son was replaced by a ham, which was slaughtered. This incident is mentioned in the Bible as well as in Torah with minor changes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 09, 2020 06:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).