Carlo Petersen
MUSLIM families celebrated Eid-ul-Adha yesterday with sacrificial Qurbani ceremonies throughout the province.
Eid-ul-Adha is known as the Feast of Sacrifice or the Greater Eid, and is one of two Eid celebrations in the Muslim calendar.
In the Islamic faith, Eid- al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadaan, the holy month of fasting and Eid-ul-Adha commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to Allah.
According to the Qur’an, after witnessing Ibrahim’s devotion and willingness to sacrifice his son, Allah gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead of his son.
Yesterday, Muslim families gathered at their homes and at farms around Cape Town to sacrifice sheep, cows and goats. At Barnes Farm in Schaapkraal hundreds of people came to witness the sacrifices being made.
“The meat is shared among friends, family and the poor, with each receiving a third. People also purchase sheep and cows from the farms and sacrifice them at home, but we are all required to adhere to animal laws to ensure the animals are slaughtered humanely, said farm owner Soraya Barnes.
Barnes said farm owners worked closely with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Sedick Moosa, 54, said he brought his family to the farm every year to buy a sheep and witness it being slaughtered.
“It’s a religion, our heritage and our culture. We do this to celebrate who we are as Muslims. We are given a chance to be new people from today, and so making these sacrifices is but a small token to show gratitude,” Moosa said.
Moosa said Eid-ul-Adha also marked the end of Hajj, the five-day spiritual journey that takes Muslims to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
“I joined over two million Muslims who made the pilgrimage last year,” Moosa said just after hearing news of the stampede in Mecca yesterday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones. Today is a day we spend with our families and in prayer and it is also Heritage Day, so we remember those who paved the way for us to live freely as we can today.”
The ritual sacrifices yesterday were overseen by SPCA officials throughout the province.
SPCA spokesperson Wan-ika Davids said: “There were a few issues related to the handling of animals and animal husbandry, where some (of) the animals were not given enough water before being slaughtered, but it was nothing that could not be handled on the spot.
“Our work does not stop there, though.
“We will continue to work with people and animals to ensure that animals are treated humanely and within the law.”
@carlo_petersen