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How Muslims Should Actually Slaughter Animals for Eid Al-Adha

September 23, 2015
An Egyptian man waits with his son to sell sheep ahead of Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha at a street market in Cairo, Egypt. PHOTO: Xinhua News Agency.

By Rana Kamaly, Community Times With Eid el Adha approaching, many Muslims sacrifice different animals as a form of Aduhia. This annual tradition is practiced in many ways, with some people preferring to perform the ritual themselves, and others opting to donate the money to a charity organization that handles it from A to Z. In all cases, knowing how it’s done and what to look out for is key for all those who practice this tradition. First of all, contrary to popular belief, slaughtering is a sunna and is not required by everyone, although it is preferable to do it if you have the means.  Second of all, animals should not suffer in the process, and there are specific guidelines on what to do before, during and after slaughter.  The most well known – which is that one must say “Besmellah” or In the Name of Allah, is just one of many guidelines that one should observe.  After all, it is not the animals’ fault that we have to sacrifice them, so the least we can do is try to minimize their suffering in the process. The below guidelines…


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