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Athar Ali was bargaining with an animal seller in a sprawling market in southern Karachi to buy an animal for mass sacrifice during `Eid Al-Adha, one of the two main religious festivals in the Islamic calendar.
"Till last year, we all used to sacrifice goats, but this year it is unbearable for us," Ali, a small businessman, told IslamOnline. He wants to buy five cows for mass sacrifice by himself, friends and neighbors.
"This unprecedented price-hike has broken our back(s), leaving us with no other option but to go for mass sacrifice this year."
All About Udhiyah: Rulings and Conditions Pakistan is reeling under a severe financial crunch amid higher prices and a worsening internal security situation. It has almost run out of foreign currency reserves and the rupee has lost 30 percent of its value in 2008.
"The prices of animals, especially goats and sheep, are unbearable. The sellers are simply looting the people," fumes Ali.
It costs between 10,000 to 15,000 rupees ($125-190) to buy an average-sized goat.
"When I found out that I won't be able to buy a goat this year, I started contacting my friends, and neighbors to share a cow." The response was unbelievable.
"Just within a day, over 30 people agreed. I had intended to buy one cow as I thought that I would not be able to persuade more than seven people. But now I'm buying five cows."
A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares six others in sacrificing a camel or cow as an act of worship during `Eid Al-Adha.
According to the majority of scholars Udhiyah or sacrifice is a confirmed Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
It reminds Muslims of the great act of sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Isma`eel were willing to make for the sake of God.
High Demand
Several charities are also arranging mass sacrifices this year.
"We have arranged mass sacrifice at 100 different places in Karachi due to increasing number of faithful who have joined us this year," Tabbassum Jafri, the secretary general of Al-Khidmat Foundation, the country’s largest Islamic charity, told IOL.
He expects a high demand for mass sacrifice this year due to the price-hikes.
"I don't have any specific data in this connection, but my estimation suggests that almost 50 percent of those who sacrificed goats last year, will go for cows through mass sacrifice this year due to back-breaking inflation."
They plan mass sacrifices in quake-hit areas in the southeastern Balochistan province.
"We have arranged mass sacrifice in different areas of Balochistan, hit by the earthquake," said Jafri.
At least 300 people were killed and 100,000 went homeless after a 6.5-magnitude quake rocked southeastern Balochistan last month.
"Hundreds of people have so far deposited money for mass sacrifice in earthquake-hit areas."
Abdul-Sattar Edhi, the founder and chairman of Edhi Foundation, the country's second largest charity, also predicts a high demand for mass sacrifice.
"The buying power of a brute majority of the people has reduced due to rising inflation," he told IOL.
"Therefore, I think, they will go for mass sacrifice this year."
"Till last year, we all used to sacrifice goats, but this year it is unbearable for us," Ali, a small businessman, told IslamOnline. He wants to buy five cows for mass sacrifice by himself, friends and neighbors.
"This unprecedented price-hike has broken our back(s), leaving us with no other option but to go for mass sacrifice this year."
All About Udhiyah: Rulings and Conditions Pakistan is reeling under a severe financial crunch amid higher prices and a worsening internal security situation. It has almost run out of foreign currency reserves and the rupee has lost 30 percent of its value in 2008.
"The prices of animals, especially goats and sheep, are unbearable. The sellers are simply looting the people," fumes Ali.
It costs between 10,000 to 15,000 rupees ($125-190) to buy an average-sized goat.
"When I found out that I won't be able to buy a goat this year, I started contacting my friends, and neighbors to share a cow." The response was unbelievable.
"Just within a day, over 30 people agreed. I had intended to buy one cow as I thought that I would not be able to persuade more than seven people. But now I'm buying five cows."
A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares six others in sacrificing a camel or cow as an act of worship during `Eid Al-Adha.
According to the majority of scholars Udhiyah or sacrifice is a confirmed Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
It reminds Muslims of the great act of sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Isma`eel were willing to make for the sake of God.
High Demand
Several charities are also arranging mass sacrifices this year.
"We have arranged mass sacrifice at 100 different places in Karachi due to increasing number of faithful who have joined us this year," Tabbassum Jafri, the secretary general of Al-Khidmat Foundation, the country’s largest Islamic charity, told IOL.
He expects a high demand for mass sacrifice this year due to the price-hikes.
"I don't have any specific data in this connection, but my estimation suggests that almost 50 percent of those who sacrificed goats last year, will go for cows through mass sacrifice this year due to back-breaking inflation."
They plan mass sacrifices in quake-hit areas in the southeastern Balochistan province.
"We have arranged mass sacrifice in different areas of Balochistan, hit by the earthquake," said Jafri.
At least 300 people were killed and 100,000 went homeless after a 6.5-magnitude quake rocked southeastern Balochistan last month.
"Hundreds of people have so far deposited money for mass sacrifice in earthquake-hit areas."
Abdul-Sattar Edhi, the founder and chairman of Edhi Foundation, the country's second largest charity, also predicts a high demand for mass sacrifice.
"The buying power of a brute majority of the people has reduced due to rising inflation," he told IOL.
"Therefore, I think, they will go for mass sacrifice this year."
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