CAREFUL PLANNING CAN MAKE ‘KORBAN’ EASY
In the annual sacrifice, a Muslim can contribute a cow or part of its cost
SHARING one’s wealth is a responsibility first, and charity, second. It is with this in mind that Aziz participates in his mosque’s Hari Raya Aidiladha korban activity.
He has been doing this every year without fail. He would contribute his share to the mosque committee every year without fail. In fact, he would be the first person to give his share to set the ball rolling, so to speak.
In the annual sacrifice, a Muslim can either contribute a cow, or contribute a portion of the price of the cow. There are seven shares to every cow, meaning a person can contribute one or more portions depending on his preference.
Some individuals contribute the whole cow. The more wealthy individuals may give more than one and the animal is distributed to several locations. It is not uncommon for such individuals to contribute 10 or more cows each.
Aziz would contribute one-seventh of the cost of a cow. He harbours the hope that one day, he can contribute a whole cow.
He recalls how expensive the contribution has been over the years. He’s not complaining.
I ask him to compare the cost of a cow 10 years ago and today.
“Uncle, 10 or 15 years ago, a portion cost about RM300. This has since gone up every year. This year, I paid RM650 for one share. For the same amount, I could have taken up two shares 10 years ago. But, I take this in stride.
“I have a system for my Hari Raya Aidiladha’s contribution. I keep aside at least RM50 every month for this purpose. So, by the time the mosque committee puts up a notice calling for participation, I am ready.”
Aziz may not be the typical contributor to korban activities. Most participants will make a lastminute decision to contribute, depending on affordability.
If they have spare cash, they will participate. If they don’t, they will turn up on the korban day and offer their services instead.
On a korban day, the mosque committee needs strong hands for all kinds of tasks.
Mosques and surau were most busy the past couple of days. Since Hari Raya Aidiladha this year fell on a Friday, many committees decided to conduct their korban on Saturday, especially if they had many cows to slaughter.
There were mosques that performed their korban on Friday, but they had to work fast in order to be ready for Friday prayers.
Almost every mosque in the country had korban activities, especially if they were located within or near residential areas. Most officials would distribute coupons to facilitate distribution.
Some mosques in kampung and outlying areas engaged friends with pick-up trucks and motorcycles to distribute the meat. That’s why mosque committees need many hands to help make the korban efficient and fast.
Oh yes, for korban purposes, a goat can also be used as an offering. A few years ago, a camel was offered by a contributor in Shah Alam and it attracted a lot of attention.
In the last 10 years or so, many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals have ventured overseas to do their korban.
Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Gaza are annual favourites.
I have participated in a couple of such activities in Cambodia. Malaysian NGOs would collect cash and work with a Cambodian NGO or association to organise the event in many parts of Cambodia.
Two years ago, my team and I, with the support of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia based in Johor, conducted the korban in a small fishing village in Phnom Penh.
The villagers lived on boats that they also used for fishing. The boats were anchored on the river banks and every villager would stop work for the day for Raya prayers and organise a feast.
It was a simple but meaningful feast. The fishermen are poor and they look forward to this annual event organised by Malaysians and supported by local agencies.
The Cambodian Islamic Department is always supportive of such activities. Which explains why the number of Malaysians performing korban there are on the rise.
As for korban in countries like Bangladesh, Gaza and even Syria, local NGOs will work with trusted partners in these countries. All these efforts have helped give a good name to the country.