Bakrid : Bombay High Court bans sacrifice (Qurbani) in flats, housing societies

Mumbai, August 6, 2019 : The Bombay High Court has forbidden the sacrifice of goats on Bakrid (August 12) in flats and in the housing society area. A petition was filed in the high court against the licenses granted for sacrifices outside the slaughterhouse as well as on private open spaces for Barid (Eid al-Adha ).

The high court in its order said that community sacrifice centres should be located atleast one kilometer from residential areas.

Eid al-Adha, also called the “Festival of the Sacrifice”, is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two. It honours the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience command.

During Eid al-Adha, distributing meat amongst the people, chanting the takbir out loud before the Eid prayers on the first day and after prayers throughout the three days of Eid, are considered essential parts of this important Islamic festival.

One of the main trials of Abraham’s life was to face the command of God to sacrifice his dearest possession, his son.The son is not named in the Quran, but the earliest Islamic traditions identify Ishmael as the son who was sacrificed. Upon hearing this command, Abraham prepared to submit to the will of God. During this preparation, Shaitan (the Devil) tempted Abraham and his family by trying to dissuade them from carrying out God’s commandment, and Abraham drove Satan away by throwing pebbles at him. In commemoration of their rejection of Satan, stones are thrown at symbolic pillars during the Stoning of the Devil during Hajj rites.

When Abraham attempted to cut his son’s throat on mount Arafat, he was astonished to see that his son was unharmed and instead, he found an animal which was slaughtered. Abraham had passed the test by his willingness to carry out God’s command.