Meeting, not meat-eating: Some local Muslims forgo Eid al-Adha sacrifice
Making Eid al-Adha meatless can be more complicated than avoiding certain dishes during holiday get-togethers.
That’s because this holiest day on the Muslim calendar generally revolves around eating meat.
In fact, Eid al-Adha is also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice.” For the occasion, which will be celebrated this year through Sunday, most Muslim families will sacrifice a lamb or goat in honor of Abraham.
Muslims call him “Ibrahim” — but this leader is familiar to Jews and Christians as well, as is the story of his ultimate sacrifice.
Imam Rizwan Khan, with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Greater Houston, explains that when God commands him to do so, Ibrahim prepares to sacrifice his son. Muslims believe Ishmael was the son involved in the ritual; Isaac is his name in the JudeoChristian tradition.
God, however, decides to spare Ishmael and replaces him with a ram instead. To commemorate this event, Muslims sacrifice an animal annually and reflect upon the story’s symbolism.
“Eid is a time when an animal is offered as a sacrifice, and food is shared,” Khan said.
He said Muslims observing the holiday only keep one-third of the meat for themselves. Another third must go to poor families, and the remainder is given to friends or family.
Partaking in the tradition of the sacrifice of the animal is important, Khan said.
He said the holiday also marks the end of hajj, or the pilgrimage to Kaaba, the square shrine in Mecca, which all Muslims, if they are able, are required to visit.
This journey is another important ritual and creates a sense of togetherness.
“You’re not one neighborhood of Muslims or one city of Muslims,” Khan said. “You are, in fact, one world.”
Some Muslims, however, are finding ways to avoid the animalsacrifice part of Eid al-Adha — and instead focus on charitable giving and the spirit of joining together.
For example, this year will mark the sixth that Rose Badat, a resident of The Woodlands, will celebrate the holiday as a vegetarian.
Her friends and family used to question her about how she would observe Eid without meat. Now, she is confident that they’re more accepting and mindful of her decision.
“You can be a Muslim and be a vegetarian,” she said.
Instead of sacrificing an animal, Badat opts for another route. Her family sends money abroad for those who would not otherwise be able to afford the meat. A number of families do the same — vegetarian or not.
“When you’re brought up in a religion, you follow the traditions, but there are other ways we can do it,” Badat said. “When it comes to Eid, it’s all about how you interpret the Quran. For us, this is OK. We just see it as better to feed the poor.”
A worthy cause
Brittnye Shaffer, a vegan and resident of the Greenway/Upper Kirby neighborhood, is donating to a charity this year. She and her husband decided to give either the amount an animal would cost in most countries or an equivalent number of vegan items to a worthy cause.
Shaffer said that the tradition of sacrificing an animal dates to a time when meat was incredibly valuable and might be enjoyed only on this one date.
“In 2019, however, meat is no longer the primary source of food, nor is it necessarily a special-occasion food,” she said. “It is much more of a sacrifice, in the real term of the word, to give a portion of one’s earnings to those who need it most, and to support them in having what is needed, whether they choose to use it for meat or otherwise.”
Shaffer added that there are a number of resources online for Muslims who are interested in becoming vegan.
“What greater everyday mercy can there be to avoid taking from animals what belongs to them, even if it has been made permissible?” she asked.
Not eating meat should not stand in the way of the other main part of the holiday — gathering with others to enjoy a meal and celebrate the hajj, Badat said.
“It shouldn’t deter you from celebrating with all of the other Muslims,” she said.
Imam Ahmad Khan, at the Maryam Islamic Center in Sugar Land, agrees.
“Eid is really about meeting together — and not about meateating,” he said.
He and his wife were vegetarians for a while before they switched to the keto diet. Being physically healthy has been a part of his spiritual journey. In fact, before becoming a religious leader, he was pursuing medicine as a career.
“There was a time when I thought being healthy and spiritually healthy were separate,” Ahmad Khan said. “Your soul resides inside your body. If your body is unhealthy, your soul will be as well.”
He made it his mission to incorporate that connection as a spiritual mentor. “I want to make sure people use religion to benefit themselves and society,” he said.
When Ahmad Khan completed his seminary studies at Zaytuna College in California, his view of physical health as part of spirituality strengthened. “All of my professors were about mind and body,” he said. “They taught us nutrition. It really came full circle.”
He said the Prophet Muhammad ate meat only occasionally and was known for his kindness and respect of animals.
“Meat used to be a luxury,” he said. “Meat didn’t use to be as readily available as it is now. Traditionally, poor people would only eat meat on this Eid.”
Eid al-Adha highlights how sacred life is in the Islamic tradition, Ahmad Khan said. “We’re not allowed to kill animals for game hunting,” he said. “We’re not allowed to oppress animals. Animals are revered.”
Sacrificing an animal to eat must be done intentionally, without wasting food or hurting the being. In addition, Ahmad Khan said, coming together at the dinner table is really what Eid is all about.
“If you don’t feel comfortable eating meat, no one is going to force you to do it,” he said.
Sending money to a reputable organization is an ideal alternative to making the sacrifice, Ahmad Khan said.
Imam Rizwan Khan also focuses on connection with others during the holiday.
“Every Eid, and especially taking into account what’s been happening in the U.S. lately, it’s important for us to remember how many commonalities we have,” he said.
For example, Rizwan Khan said, Jews, Christians and Muslims alike follow the teachings of Abraham. At the same time, all Muslims celebrate the holiday, despite their country or origin or tradition.
Moral objections
Mariyah Shere, a 13-year-old from the Memorial neighborhood, has been a vegetarian for as long as she can remember.
“It’s been pretty much my whole life,” she said.
Mariyah doesn’t like the texture or taste of meat — and also has moral objections to eating it.
“I picture the animal, and it isn’t appealing,” she said. “I don’t like the idea of eating animals and killing them.”
Luckily, she said, her parents have been accepting, and eating vegetarian food has been easy.
“There are a lot of options for me,” she said. “I just hit the rice, lentils and vegetables. I don’t feel bad. I don’t feel left out. I don’t crave meat.”
Her father, Yusuf Shere, said her solid reasoning has kept him and his wife from forcing the issue. “We tried to get her to eat meat, but we eventually gave up,” he said. “We felt that she had good intentions. She’s very conscientious.”
Yusuf said that now his family is accustomed to his daughter’s diet. “Each child is unique, and we want them to express their individuality,” he said.
He said that being Muslim or observing Eid is not meat dependent.
“This holiday is about celebrating, about getting together,” he said. “If someone doesn’t eat one thing, it’s fine.”
Yusuf added that he is planning a gathering for the event. “There will be a lot of meat there, but Mariyah will just avoid it,” he said.