Donation of hides: a dilemma?

Yasir Ilyas

One of the issues associated with Eidul Azha is the donation of hides of sacrificial animals. There are too many banners and hoardings in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad from different organisations and groups. So, one should make it sure to donate hides of sacrificial animals to the ‘right hands’.

A couple of days back, the Ministry of Interior issued a ‘Code of Conduct’ for organisations, which collect hides of sacrificial animals. According to the handout issued by the ministry, the charity organisations will have to take permission from deputy commissioners for setting up camps for collecting hides of sacrificial animals. Besides it, the ministry imposed a ban on outlawed organisations to collect hides on the festive occasion.

Talking to INFN, Maulana Shakeel Ahmed, a cleric, said: “One can keep the hide of the sacrificial animal himself for his use. However, sale of hide is prohibited in Islam. The best utilisation of these hides is to donate them to seminaries where hundreds of poor children and orphans get religious education.” He said that the neighbourhood mosque, having a seminary, has a greater right to receive hides of sacrificial animals.

The teacher of a seminary in Islamabad said that hides of sacrificial animals should not be given to mosques. They should rather be given to seminaries, as these are social institutes. “But people are quite reluctant to donate hides to seminaries, as they consider seminaries as nurseries of terrorism, which is a totally wrong perception,” he added.

Rafique Qureshi, an activist of a social organisation holding camps for flood victims in different parts of Rawalpindi, said: “I think hides should be donated to camps which are working for rehabilitation of flood victims.”

Shaheen Bibi, a housewife, said: “We are not sure whether the camps set up for rehabilitation of flood victims are genuine or not. Such camps spring up in no time in different parts of the city whenever a calamity hits the country. Therefore, I will donate the hide of my sacrificial animal to the local seminary as always.”

Hussain Shah, a resident of Islamabad, said: “One is free to donate hides of sacrificial animals to anyone he or she desires. But people should make it sure to hand over hides to the right persons”.