ISTANBUL,
January 31 (IslamOnline.net) - Many Turks will pay for this Eid's
sacrificial animal by installments to cope with the current economic
crisis and jacked up prices.
Lambs'
prices have spiraled up to between 250 and 450 million Turkish liras
per head (around $185-330), while cows are selling at between
mind-blowing three to five billion liras (around $1100-2200).
Turkey’s
national economy has been crippling for three years due to high
inflation rate, currency devaluation and hard-to-meet conditions
imposed by the World Bank.
To
make life easier and breathe life into the stagnant economy, some
Turkish companies are offering sheep and cattle at five installments.
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.
Turks
donate the animal's fur or leather to charities and the Air Force.
Although
the law provides for giving such donations to the Air Force it only
gets 10 percent of the annual donations estimated at between $100-150
million while charities receive the lion's share.
According
to the majority of Muslim scholars Udhiyah or sacrifice is a
Confirmed Sunnah.
It
reminds Muslims of the great act of sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim and his
son Isma`eel were willing to make for the sake of God.
The
sacrificing of the animal should
take place from after `Eid Prayer until the last of the Days
of tashreeq (the 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah).
