Muslims perform Aidiladha sacrificial ritual overseas

KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims look forward to the Haj season and Aidiladha celebrations as this is when they get the opportunity to earn more rewards from God by performing the ‘ korban’ or sacrificial ritual not only locally but in other countries as well.

This ritual signifies the end of the Haj season and it is a time to reflect on the virtues of sacrifice, namely sharing the meat of the sacrificed livestock with the less fortunate.

Performing the sacrificial ritual also injects a sense of repentance and humility when sharing one’s blessings with fellow Muslims who are underprivileged.

Muslims show their gratitude to Allah SWT by performing the ritual of sacrificing animals. This ritual takes place over four days starting just after the Aidiladha sermon is delivered and ending before sunset on the 13th day of the Zulhijjah month of the Muslim calendar.

In fact, it had been a part of the religious practices observed by Prophet Muhammad SAW to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim AS to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail AS.

These days, many Malaysian Muslims, who can afford to do so, are also performing the ‘korban’ ritual overseas in a bid to earn more rewards from God. Many associations and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) have taken the initiative to provide the necessary services to help Muslims to undertake this ritual in other countries. Overseas The countries often chosen as destinations for the sacrificial ritual are Indonesia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Some Malaysians have also been carrying out the ritual in Niger, Chad, Malawi, Somalia, Mali, Sudan, Kenya, Nepal, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Kosova, Jordan, Albania, Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Syria, Yemen, Palestine (in Gaza and West Bank), Iraq and Makkah.

The cost comes to between RM300 and RM2,100, depending on the type of animal chosen for sacrifice and the body parts selected. Of course, some people have questioned the benefit of having this ritual done overseas. Those who opt for the overseas sacrifice are driven by three factors, namely the lower prices of livestock; more povertystricken communities there who deserve the sacrificed meat; and to prevent wastage.

According to the website of duniakorban – a company specialising in providing services to Muslims who wish to carry out the sacrificial ritual – unofficial data showed that the value of sacrificial rituals carried out in other countries in 2016 had exceeded RM10 million. An estimated 50,000 Malaysians had performed the ritual that year. Bring happiness to others Islamic Relief Malaysia chief executive officer Zairulshahfuddin Zainal Abidin said IRM had implemented the ‘SalamQurbani’ programme in more than 30 countries including Niger, Chad, Malawi, Somalia, Mali, Sudan, Kenya, Nepal, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Kosova, Jordan, Albania, Lebanon, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

IRM has been carrying out the seasonal programme since 2006 with the collaboration of the Islamic Relief organisations in the countries concerned to enable Malaysians to perform the ritual and thereby, help needy Muslims in other countries.

“Millions of Muslims worldwide are benefiting from our programmes. There are people out there who have never tasted meat throughout their lives. Our programmes bring happiness to the recipients and give the staff of Islamic Relief a sense of satisfaction.

“Such acts of piety help to fulfil the shared responsibility aspect of our humanitarian missions. Indirectly, in celebrating Aidiladha, it is also the intermediary that links the rich to the less fortunate,” he said.

In 2017, Islamic Relief distributed 141,395 packages of sacrificed meat in 33 countries, including Malaysia, which benefited a total of 3,252,085 people. The poor in remote areas Islamic Aid Malaysia ( IAM) has also been carrying out a similar programme since 2011, mainly in Nepal and Sri Lanka. The sacrificial ritual is usually carried out in the interior regions of these two countries where a lot of poor people live.

“In fact, there are some mosques there that don’t carry out the sacrificial ritual as the Muslims there are too poor and can’t afford it. Such places are the choice of IAM,” said its president Zawahir Abdullah.

This year, IAM’s ‘ korban’ programme is expected to benefit some 10,000 people in Sri Lanka who live in several districts in the Trincomalee region, as well as Muslim communities in Poovarasantheevu, Majeed Nagar, Kakamunai, Solaivettuvan, Maharoof Gramam and Soorangal. This programme will involve the sacrifice of 60 cows, 60 buffaloes and 30 goats.

IAM has also teamed up with Muslim Aid International to carry out similar programmes in Syria, Africa, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Indonesia, Cambodia, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the staff of Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), through their association Persatuan Kakitangan Perkhidmatan Ugama ( PKPU), is carrying out a sacrificial programme in Cambodia this year.

Its president Datuk Paimuzi Yahya, who is also Jakim deputy director-general ( Human Development), said it chose Cambodia as it was more open in terms of its policies and, furthermore, it was easier to procure cattle at lower prices there.

“We usually perform our ‘ korban’ in countries where Muslims are a minority and are poor and oppressed and are victims of disasters,” he said, adding that many Muslims in Malaysia participate in their programmes in Cambodia.

Paimuzi said while it was challenging for PKPU to carry out the programme between July and September as it was the rainy season in Cambodia, the experience it has gained since 2009 enabled it to fulfil its mission successfully.

“Some 200 to 300 cows and 50 goats will be sacrificed and we always have enough meat to distribute,” he said. — Bernama