afarag@ub.d.umn.edu (Aly Farag) (07/02/90)
Dear Muslims:
Eid-ul-Adha (feast of sacrifice) is today Monday
(7/2) according to the Islamic center of
Minneapolis/St. Paul. Please accept my best wishes for
a happy Eid. I hope we will all benefit from the mes-
sage and the meaning of sacrifice.
Now, before I wrote this message I consulted several
books to check if instead of the "Zabiha" (slaughtering
of an animal), its value can be used into anther kind
(and more pressing) direction like, say, the earthquake
relief efforts. I couldn't find a direct answer,
although the call for helping the needy is very clear
in the Qur'an and the Hadith.
Therefore, I cannot make a fatwa (a conclusion based on
Islamic reasoning) on this issue. May be some of the
knowledgeable can address this issue and provide us
with their search. Or, may be an authority have exam-
ined this issue before and in this case, I will be
grateful to know what does Islam say here. I repeat
that the commands for helping the needy are very clear
and abundant in the Qur'an and the Hadith. Also, the
message of Umar Ibn-el-Kahatab (the second righteous
khaliph) to Amro Ibn-el-Aas (governor of Egypt) asking
for help because of the famine that hit Arabia is a
relevant reminder.
Be as it may, the meaning behind the sacrifice is un-
doubtly clear to all the believers ( in fact all mank-
ind). To the Muslims, in particular, we are having a
very dear and important occasion that reminds us again
and again with the sacrifice in the way of Allah. The
full submission and obedience of Ibrahim (Abraham), the
father of the Prophets, peace on him, to Allah is a
great lesson for us to benefit from. Sacrifice in all
what pleases Allah is the message of Eid-ul-Adha.
When you have close to one million people (dead, in-
jured, and homeless), their situation speaks for it-
self. May Allah bless us in these holy days and may
His commands for helping the needy will be answered
without any hesitation. Amen.
--Aly Farag