New Delhi

Ahead of the prominent Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha which falls on Monday, June 17,  noted Muslim scholar and president of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani, has urged the Muslims to follow the guidelines laid down by the government concerning the sacrificial animals.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Maulana Madani appealed to the people not to sacrifice animals prohibited as per Indian laws.

“There is no substitute for sacrifice in Islam. It is a religious duty, the offering of which is obligatory on every Muslim. Muslims must strictly follow the government guidelines for qurbani (sacrifice), and since the religion considers qurbani of a black animal instead, it is better to do so to avoid any kind of trouble,” reads the statement.

During the three-day Eid al-Adha feast, Muslims sacrifice animals to follow their religious obligation across the world. However, in India, a section of the society objects to  the animal sacrifice and some elements even try to generate controversy over it.

He posted the list of do and don't on X:

मुसलमान कुर्बानी करते समय सरकारी आदेशों का पूर्णतः पालन करें
और प्रतिबंधित जानवरों की कुर्बानी न करें
कुर्बानी के जानवर की कोई तस्वीर सोशल मीडीया पर शेयर न करें।
इस्लाम में कुर्बानी का कोई विकल्प नहीं है। यह एक धार्मिक कर्तव्य है, जिसका पालन करना हर क्षमता रखने वाले pic.twitter.com/GLKleBNCpl

— Arshad Madani (@ArshadMadani007) June 13, 2024

Maulana Madani asked Muslims not to share pictures of slaughtered animals on social media. “If mischievous elements, at any place, prevent the qurbani of a black animal, some sensible and influential people should take the administration into confidence, and then qurbani should be offered,” he said.

In case Muslims do not get the right atmosphere and space for qurbani, Maulana Madani said then the qurbani should be offered in a nearby place where qurbani had regularly been offered without any problems.

“At least a goat must be sacrificed there and registration should be done in the office of administration to avoid the problem in future. Muslims of the country must take special care of cleanliness on the occasion,” he said.

He also urged Muslims not to throw animal waste on roads, streets, and drains. The waste should be buried in such a way that it does not spread the stench. Every possible effort should be made so that no one gets hurt by our actions, he said.

Madani also asked the community to remain cautious in the prevailing situation. His statement has come against the backdrop of cow vigilantes often attacking cattle traders over the suspicion of cow slaughter.