Eid al-Adha: why animal sacrifices are appreciated for Islam, Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism

The Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha – or Feast of Sacrifice – begins on Saturday, to commemorate the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ibrahim, known as Abraham to Christianity and Judaism.

I believe that Prophet Ibrahim bin had a dream which we consider as a message from Allah, say to make a sacrifice to his son Ismail as an act of obedience. When I tell my son the message, Ismail bin accepts and asks my dad to obey the order. As Ibrahim wants to kill my son, Allah bin stops him and gives me a “ram” (sheep) to sacrifice instead.

Muslims around the world sacrifice different types of livestock for rituals. Traditionally, the act is obligatory if people obtain support that meets their needs.

So what about the major religions? How important is animal sacrifice to Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity?

The history of Islam has many similarities with Judaism and Christianity.

Jewish scriptures are subject to different sacrifices, each with their own times and places, said Rabbi Gary Somers, Leo Baeck College’s head of academic services for the United Kingdom.

“Nowadays we no longer practice these sacrifices, for example in the temple, because these rituals no longer exist. Instead, we remember these sacrifices through prayer,” he said.

Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson is vice president of American Jewish University and the Abner & Roslyn Goldstine Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.

“With the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, animal sacrifices were no longer permitted for Judaism. Many think they are permanently banned, while others think that after the Messiah comes, they will bring me back,” they explain.

The temple is located around the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque currently stands, in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Jews pray that they will rebuild the temple, and believe that once rebuilt, they will be able to return to the practice of animal sacrifices.

While most Jews do not practice animal sacrifices due to the lack of a temple, some groups in Jerusalem, such as the Samaritans, continue to perform sacrifices during Passover. It is possible to donate money to meet the cost of a sacrificial animal.

A sheep, buffalo, cow or goat, or sacrificed animal, is religiously acceptable or “kosher.” Dr Artson elaborates: “Only kosher animals are allowed to be slaughtered, they burn part of it on the altar, they give part of it to the priests’ families, and the celebrants and the families of the family cut part of it” to describe the situation. history.

Although direct sacrifices are not common, meat consumption is important for many festivals. Jewish rituals for animal sacrifice are different and vary depending on the purpose of the sacrifice.

Previously, three pilgrimage festivals in Judaism – Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Feast of Weeks), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) – held significance as animal sacrifice events.

Rabbi Gary Somers, head of academic services at Leo Baeck College in the United Kingdom, explains that oda festivals like Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) also involve animal sacrifices.

The tori of the sacrifice of the prophet Abraham also exist for the Jewish scriptures. However, the command to perform animal sacrifices came later and is slightly different for the Jews.

Christianity has its roots in Judaism, and Jewish scriptures have much in common with the Old Testament and the Bible.

“The books of the Old Testament, particularly Leviticus 17 and Deuteronomy, detail how animal sacrifices are supposed to be carried out – they are carried out in the morning and evening and on various festivals,” said Dr Proshanto T Rebeiro, pastor of Kafrul Catholic Church from Dhaka took.

During this time, animal sacrifices were performed in the hope of repentance and forgiveness for negative things.

But this custom is no longer practiced religiously because of the death of Jesus Christ, as shown by the ultimate sacrifice. Christians see Jesus as the “Lamb of God.”

Although there are no religious provisions regarding sacrifice, in many cases, “if people make a vow or promise to God, animal sacrifice follows a different path.”

Besides the Jewish connection, the tradition of animal sacrifice for Christianity in the name of the Creator is not, Dr. Reberio notes.

However, no restrictions on the meat we eat is suitable for the chop. For many countries, it’s traditional to eat lamb during the Jewish holiday of Passover, and Ribeiro notes that during my time in Italy, chopping lamb for Easter seemed almost obligatory.

However, for Christianity, there is no custom of Korban – Jewish tradition of animal sacrifice for religious purposes.

Although tok-tok dey are different on the theme of animal sacrifice for Hinduism, a section of Hindus also practice them.

For example, in many parts of India or Bangladesh, they sacrifice animals for religious rituals, including festivals like Durga Puja and Kali Puja.

“Different ancient Hindu scriptures, like the Ramayana (and) the Mahabharata, and holy books, (like) the Puranas, refer to this animal sacrifice,” said Dr Kushal Baran Chakraborty, assistant professor in the department of Sanskrit at the University of Chittagong (Bangladesh).

“For the Rigveda, one of the ancient religious texts of Hinduism, it is said that animals that are sacrificed are liberated (and) freed from slavery,” he emphasizes.

Animal sacrifices are believed to have been common in the Vedic era, between 1500 and 500 BC. The meat is offered to the gods and they will then chop it for the feast. However, experts in modern India have different opinions on the practice of animal sacrifice.

Animal sacrifice is still a practice in some ancient temples, Dr Chakraborty said. E lists temples like Dhakeshwari for Bangladesh and Tripura Sundari, Kamakhya and Kalighat Kali for India.

However, Dr Rohini Dharmapal, an expert on Hinduism, said she was not aware of widespread animal sacrifices in modern India.

Dr. Chakraborty notes that the modern practice of animal sacrifice for Hinduism mostly emphasizes self-gratification, competition, or indulgence rather than the spiritual significance of the sacrifice. I feel like they are destroying the sanctity.

Indian groups are willing to stop animal sacrifices at various temples and advocate for banning the slaughter of animals for religious purposes.

Sri Lanka and Nepal do not prohibit animal sacrifice by Hindus. But pipo does not stick to the ban.