I wish the concepts of morality weren’t so vague and all that gray. I wish they were simpler, in terms of black and white, but then again I wouldn’t want simple, black and white things to impose. A little wandering here and there to get to the truth keeps me entertained, but then I am scared of losing ways too.
The reason I ever thought that the concepts of morality should be simpler is because I don’t want to be confused all the time. I do want to know how being certain feels, although I am certainly not certain enough about certainty being a bliss! But the grass has got to look greener at the other side, hence my need to check out that side of the fence!
Anyway, let’s get to the point. A goat in my neighborhood died last night, not a very natural death though, because he was slaughtered. And he was slaughtered in the middle of the night because he was ill and it was highly probable that he would die any minute so the owner thought it was wise to just slaughter a sick animal and make its meat halaal. Or probably he was thinking that he would end the goat’s suffering if he just ordered it to be slaughtered there and then and made it easier for the poor thing to embrace death. I don’t know about his intentions, but I know that I was feeling terrible having to see a sick animal being slaughtered. Later, when I was looking out of the window, I saw all those other animals tied downstairs, and that’s when it struck me that all these are going to be slaughtered too. It’s a common knowledge that these animals are here to be killed (sacrificed) and it’s a practice I have observed since I was a child - animals being killed every year in the name of God.
These animals are God’s creatures, he made them as he made us, and then he ordered us to sacrifice one each year for him, so why is it so hard for me to understand that it is meant to be this way? Why should I question the sacrifice of something that God made himself and asked us to return it to Him in the form of a sacrifice! Probably it’s all that “animal rights” thing that is getting to me. I mean, being sad for a goat when I eat chicken every single day of my life at the cost of their death doesn’t make me the best person to talk about animal rights but all I am trying to convey here is that I felt terrible at the death of that goat. Now the question is why am I never sad at goats being slaughtered in assembly line on the day of Eid? Is it the mental conditioning or do I really think that it’s okay to kill something when God wants us to kill it, but not otherwise? Having to be in this situation, what should my moral duty be? Listening to my creator or lending an ear to the pleas of those voiceless animals? Well, I don’t really know the answers; I am just a person with many questions.
The reason I ever thought that the concepts of morality should be simpler is because I don’t want to be confused all the time. I do want to know how being certain feels, although I am certainly not certain enough about certainty being a bliss! But the grass has got to look greener at the other side, hence my need to check out that side of the fence!
Anyway, let’s get to the point. A goat in my neighborhood died last night, not a very natural death though, because he was slaughtered. And he was slaughtered in the middle of the night because he was ill and it was highly probable that he would die any minute so the owner thought it was wise to just slaughter a sick animal and make its meat halaal. Or probably he was thinking that he would end the goat’s suffering if he just ordered it to be slaughtered there and then and made it easier for the poor thing to embrace death. I don’t know about his intentions, but I know that I was feeling terrible having to see a sick animal being slaughtered. Later, when I was looking out of the window, I saw all those other animals tied downstairs, and that’s when it struck me that all these are going to be slaughtered too. It’s a common knowledge that these animals are here to be killed (sacrificed) and it’s a practice I have observed since I was a child - animals being killed every year in the name of God.
These animals are God’s creatures, he made them as he made us, and then he ordered us to sacrifice one each year for him, so why is it so hard for me to understand that it is meant to be this way? Why should I question the sacrifice of something that God made himself and asked us to return it to Him in the form of a sacrifice! Probably it’s all that “animal rights” thing that is getting to me. I mean, being sad for a goat when I eat chicken every single day of my life at the cost of their death doesn’t make me the best person to talk about animal rights but all I am trying to convey here is that I felt terrible at the death of that goat. Now the question is why am I never sad at goats being slaughtered in assembly line on the day of Eid? Is it the mental conditioning or do I really think that it’s okay to kill something when God wants us to kill it, but not otherwise? Having to be in this situation, what should my moral duty be? Listening to my creator or lending an ear to the pleas of those voiceless animals? Well, I don’t really know the answers; I am just a person with many questions.
posted by Zyenab at 8:08 PM
4 Comments:
You took words right out of my mind and posted it as delicately as ever. =]
Well written :)
Whatever happened with that particular goat was surely something that can be questioned. The sacrificial animal must be free from any defect, and good in health, so making a dying animal 'halaal' can be questioned.
As for 'why kill animals in the name of God'? In my personal opinion, people who are more attached to religion in terms of actually practicing it, usually answer that the 'meat' is not the requirement of this eid-ul-azha. It is just about renewing your spirit that for the sake of your religion and your GOD, you won't hesitate even if you have to sacrifice the most beloved thing of your life, as happened with Hazrat Ibraheem A.S.
Then in Karbala, there was a choice of slecting life by just agreeing to some conditions, or death by means of getting slaughtered by swords, but for the sake of ALLAH and HIS religion, people presented their sons and husbands for the 'sacrifice' and they actually got slaughtered by swords and were run over by horses. This was also a sacrifice where humans not animals were killed.
So, yes, it seems to be very bad and against animal rights, but ALLAH has ordered it, with necessary conditions attached that must be fulfilled, such as good health of the animal.
And you are right, that everyday we eat chicken but we don't really feel anything for those poor chickens! :)
i had seriously been exactly thinking this all day today.
it all seemed so pointless to me, and so brutal. roads stained red and children enjoying the sight of an animal being slaughtered !
i kept on justifying the whole act but just because i have grown up witnessing this every year of my life.
i really think that we muslims lose the actual essence of things and lay much more emphasis on symbolism and rituals. Allah asks us to practice sacrifice, i know all that we re supposed to do and do, but i was just thinking if it actually is sacrifice in a manner that would really touch our souls and bring us closer to Allah and make us better muslims ? is it ?
There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and
we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of
happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first
calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort
somewhere !!
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