Qurbani Animals, Qurbani Animal Sellers & “Qurbani” Of Salaah With Jamaat In The Masjid…
“The flesh and blood (of the Qurbani animals) will never reach Allah, but it is your Taqwa that will reach Him.” (Hajj, Aayat 37)
- Allah Ta’ala loves the flowing of the Qurbani animals’ blood on the day of Qurbani.
- Allah Ta’ala only wants Taqwa from us, from the entire Ibaadat of Qurbani.
- In order to build up on Taqwa, we have been given the first ten days and nights of Dhul-Hijjah which are filled with Auspiciousness.
- This duration prior to Qurbani is to perform some extra Ibaadaat, in order to build Taqwa in preparation of the day of Qurbani.
- Qurbani animals that come to our yards a few days before Qurbani, causes us to become Ghaafil (negligent) during this period of building Taqwa.
- Muslim livestock sellers are perhaps affected the most with this Ghaflat disease, which derails one from the Objective of Qurbani, viz. Taqwa.
- Firstly, it is very good to have Qurbani animals at home to feed them, tend to them, etc. This is part of Qurbani, but it is NOT the be-all and the end-all of it!
- Due to this ‘feeding’ of the animals, receiving a delivery minutes before Salaah time, or ‘delivering’ Qurbani animals causes one to either MISS Salaah, MISS Takbeer-e-Ula, MISS Jamaat Salah in the Masjid, or become a Masbooq.
- This is if we have even a regard for the importance of Salaah with Jamaat, in the Masjid. Otherwise, they will read Salaah individually like ‘ladies’, at home or on some open field, due to them missing Jamaat in the Masjid because of ‘delivering’ Qurbani animals or ‘feeding’ them.
- How is this going to build on Taqwa, which is the only requirement Allah Ta’ala wants on the day of Qurbani?
- Muslim animal sellers and those to whom animals are getting delivered to, should be conscious of Salaah with Jamaat in the Masjid, especially these few moments before the day of Qurbani. Let not the animals be a distraction in our main focus of gaining Taqwa. Let not delivering or seeing to Qurbani animals make us make ‘Qurbani’ our Salaah with Jamaat in the Masjid.
- Muslim animal sellers should not pitch up at customers’ homes between Azaan and Jamaat times, or at the time of Jamaat, nor should they make ‘Qurbani’ of their Jamaat Salaah in the Masjid due to going to deliver Qurbani animals!
- Customers receiving deliveries should demand that the delivery arrives at a comfortable time, and not a time wherein Jamaat Salaah could be missed due to receiving the animals.
- While animals play a big part in the Qurbani Ibaadat, Salaah with Jamaat in the Masjid plays a bigger part for the building of Taqwa for the day of Qurbani.
- Salaah with Jamaat, Sadaqah, Nafl, fasting on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, spending the Eid night in Ibaadat, Tilaawat, Zikrullah, Istighfaar, Durood Shareef, Du’a, etc. are all part and parcel of a Qurbani atmosphere. Qurbani atmosphere is not only restricted to tending to animals, ‘delivering’ animals and ‘feeding’ them.
- Customers should NOT go to choose their animals at the time of Salaah, or a time in which one could/would miss Salaah with Jamaat in the Masjid.
- If in a rare case if a Muslim farmer who is going to deliver Qurbani animals finds himself to be at an approach of a Jamaat Salaah time, should proceed to the Masjid first to make it on time for Salaah. Similarly, he should not leave his town at Jamaat time whereby he will MISS Jamaat Salaah due to being on the road. Take few non-Muslim workers who can guard the animals you have while you finding your Important Ingredient of Taqwa, i.e. Salaah in the Masjid with Jamaat either before leaving your area or on your way, or at your customer’s area/town.
- Selling animals, choosing animals or delivering animals till late night or odd hours which tires one out, as a result one oversleeps Fajr the next morning, is not the ideal method of gaining Taqwa.
- Similarly, selling animals throughout the time of Jamaat in the Masjid is NEVER keeping to the spirit of Qurbani. It is more like keeping to the spirit of the profits one is making out of the business of Qurbani.
- A successful Qurbani animal seller will be found in the Masjid for ALL his Salaahs. Likewise, a sign of a successful build up to the actual day of Qurbani will be that ALL customers buying or involved in animals prior to the day of Qurbani, will be found in the Masjid for ALL their Salaahs.
- In conclusion, both the Muslim farmers selling and delivering animals and customers receiving animals should first place importance to finding Salaah with Jamaat in the Masjid before finding the ‘address of delivery’, or finding the ‘ideal animal’.
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