Given the COVID-19 pandemic, ahead of Id-al-Adha, popularly known as Bakrid, socio-religious organisations are offering qurbani (sacrifice) services outside city limits with all precautions such as maintaining social distancing, sanitisation of equipment and face mask.
A recently-issued fatwa, and the Muslim clergy had asserted that coronavirus was not a deterrent to sacrifice, and that it should be made from the 10th of Zul Hijjah, the first day of Bakrid, to the 12th of Zul Hijjah.
In case the situation was such that the sacrifice was not possible in the city or town of one’s residence, efforts must be made to do it in some other place.
For instance, office-bearers of the Foundation for Economic and Educational Development (FEED), an organisation involved in promoting education, said that as part of Zabiha Project, they would be making the sacrifice in controlled conditions, duly taking all COVID precautions. “We will take fund from those who are intending to make the sacrifice. The sacrifice itself will be made in remote villages where there is no history of COVID infection. Earmarked places are villages in Khammam and Vikarabad districts, among others,” said an office-bearer.
He said that all equipment of butchers would be sanitised, social distancing maintained, and wearing face masks had been made mandatory. FEED would be distributing meat to the poorest of poor, including widows.
The over-70-year-old All India Majlis-e-Tameer-e-Millat (AIMTM) would make the sacrifice after receiving funds from donors.
“All sacrifice and distribution will done in accordance with the precautions,” said official of AIMTM, adding that once donations were received through WhatsApp or calls, a token number would be allotted. Once the sacrifice was made, donors would be intimated and delivery as per options would be made.
Other organisations such as Safa Baitul Maal too would follow similar models. Maulana Ghayas Rashadi, an office-bearer of the organisation, said all sacrifices would made outside of city limits and in districts.