I hope this question fits this thread. I know that Eid-ul-Adha probably seems a long way off as there is still a week left in Ramadan, but I was wanting to learn a little more about the ways it is celebrated. And I think from the nature of my questions you might figure out why I am asking so far in advance.
I understand that those who can afford to do so are encouraged to make a sacrifice and give the meat to the poor. While I know it is an obligation, I am sure that certain customs have probably also developed around the manner in which it is done. Can someone explain more about these customs, please?
Is this usually done as an actual in-kind gift? Or do people more often give currency that can be exchanged for food?
Is a certain size of gift suggested? How is the size of the gift determined?
To whom do you give it? And how? To immediate neighbors by simply delivering it or inviting them over? To/through the local mosque? Or do you ultilize some social service agency which might very from location to location?
If I have some Muslims friends who, this year especially as a result of the downturn in the economy and loss of jobs, might not be able to afford to do what they normally do to celebrate, would it permissible for me to make a gift to them on this occassion as they have done for others in the past? Or would this be seen as somehow insulting? If not insulting, what might be the best way of going about doing this?
Hello Grace Seeker, Peace
Firstly I applaud you for coming to a forum like this to try and understand Muslims better.
Secondly, in response to your questions: The sacrifice is not an encouraged act, but a compulsory act, for those who have a certain amount of wealth, and are sane and post puberty. In your second sentence you do state that it's an obligation
It's one sheep or goat to be sacrificed per person, or you can put a share in a cow or camel (seven equal shares go into a cow or camel, so if you were a family of seven say, one cow or camel between you would suffice).
The manner in which the actual sacrifice is done has no customs. All compulsory acts of worship have to be done in the way taught by prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The sacrifice is an act of worship too. So if you took a sacrifice performer from different parts of the world, they should be doing the same thing in terms of the sacrifice/slaughter of the animal.
What must reach the poor is the meat of the sacrificed animal, so we don't give the poor person money to buy meat. The best way would be to have your own animal and sacrifice it yourself. In Muslim countries, people buy sacrificial animals a few weeks /months beforehand, keep them at home, fatten them up, and then either sacrifice it themselves or get someone else to do it. Here in the UK, when I was a child, we used to pay our butcher to get it done for us, then later that day we would get the sacrificed animal at home, and have to sort out bits and who was getting what cut. In Western countries if people have sacrificed within the country it is given to friends and neighbours. Our neighbours (both non-Muslim) used to love it (we used to take it round to them as a gift) as it tasted so much better than the normal meat they used to eat! They used to put it straight on the barbecue! Some people do their sacrifices here in the UK, so over the Eid period we do get friend's children sent on errands to deliver meat. It is also recommended that you do keep a small amount of meat for your own consumption too (if you've sacrificed in the country you are in). Now that there are Muslim charities most people pay a charity to do on their behalf in a poor country, and the charities either go and deliver if they know poor people, but usually have distribution centres where people can go and collect some meat. Prices vary depending on the country -Kenya, India and Bangladesh are normally around £30 for a sheep or goat, some countries go up to £100. Some people pay relatives back home to do it in their locality.
There isn't a stipulation as to how much meat you give per person, if you give large quantities per person, you'll feed less with one animal than if you gave more. But since Muslims do it all over the globe, how much each person receives does not tend to be an issue. Most people distributing meat to the poor try to give so that some can be cooked on the day, and still have some that they can preserve for future. For some people it can be the only meat they'll eat all year.
The celebration of Eid varies around the globe with different food, different clothes, but the Eid prayer is the essence of the day, which is the same the world over. Most people will visit/invite friends and relatives.
If your neighbours cannot make the sacrifice this year, and you feel you'd like to make a gift for them, then that would be very touching and most probably appreciated. If they can't afford the sacrifice, perhaps don't get meat as that might be considered as "rubbing it in", but maybe popping around and just stating that you know they are celebrating their festival and would like to give a small gift should be fine.
I guess you know that the sacrifice is performed in commemoration of prophet Abraham's (peace be upon him) readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael (peace be upon him) on God's command without any question. God accepted his devotion and obedience and ordered him to sacrifice a lamb instead .The sacrifice expresses the inner feeling of a Muslim that, if need be, he will sacrifice his most loved possession for Allah. This is the lesson of the occasion. What Allah wants here is not the animal nor its meat or blood, rather our devotion and submission to His command.
I don't know if this is what you were looking for in an answer. Let me know if it's not.
Peace. (The Bible I think says the son was Isaac peace be upon him)
. That's it.
