The Trend of Online Qurbani is skyrocketing in Pakistan due to COVID-19 Pandemic

The trend of online Qurbani is on the rise these days due to the COVID-19 crisis that has affected everyone in the country. The trend of online booking of cattle for Eid-ul-Adha is trending on a massive rate. The cattle owners have increased the price range of the cattle by 20 to 35 percent. The district administrators have prohibited the setting of the cattle market in metropolitan cities like Karachi and Lahore as it can give way to the spread of COVID-19.

Many charitable organizations, religious schools, and welfare hospitals have initiated marketing of the sacrificial animals on the social media platform and they are requesting the people of the country to perform the online purchases via their portals.

During an interview with the local TV show, Rana Mubashir owner of the sacrificial animal charity said: “Cattle vendors are now publishing photos and videos of their animals on social media platforms, predominantly Facebook. A lot of customers from Pakistan and abroad are placing their orders and reservations of sacrifices. The rate of each animal is determined by its size, weight, age, and health.”

Besides the selling of sacrificial animals, many online organizations are offering the service of slaughtering online. The trend of online Qurbani began for the overseas Pakistanis who pay for their animals via means of online money transfer and then further provide instructions regarding the distribution of the meat. Renowned organizations such as Minhaj Welfare Foundation, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Edhi Foundation, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research centers, and many others have made arrangements for animal slaughtering and meat distribution of both shared and single sacrificial animal.

While some appreciate the initiative many are standing against this practice. Many Muslim Scholars are condemning online Qurbani. Zahid Mahmood Qasmi Chairman of Central Ulema Council said that the religious scholars have given the consensus that citizens should engage in the collective sacrifices but should take services from only the trustable organization.

He further said: “We reject online sacrifices on Edul Adha or participating in sacrifices with certain organizations. There are benefactors in everything that comes under the commercial banners in Pakistan while we have hundreds of examples of fraud and deception every work. Sacrifice is a ritual of Islam and every Muslim considers it a Sunnah to do with their own hands and feels heartfelt satisfaction by doing so. An important task such as sacrifice cannot be entrusted to secular NGOs.