Sheep are traditionally offered in Somalia for souls of the deceased.

By Ali Halni, IOL Correspondent

MOGADISHU, January 18 (IslamOnline.net) – Man-made traditions in Somalia have eclipsed the Muslim ritual of sacrificing sheep (udhiyah) to God in `Eid Al-Adha.

While Muslims in the four corners of the globe sacrifice sheep to God every `Eid, Somalis offer cattle as a small token for their loved ones and relatives, who passed away.

“Unfortunately, for many Somalis udhiyah comes second as they are outdone by hoary-old traditions,” Sheikh Nour Baroud Jurhan, a prominent Somali scholar, told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, January 18.

He said a vast majority of Somalis cannot afford buying two sheep in `Eid, abandoning the holy ritual for the sake of the tradition known as “hawliat.”

“They cannot kick the habit and they feel duty bound to offer the cattle every `Eid for the souls of their dead grandfathers and relatives,” added Jurhan.

`Eid Al-Adha, the largest Muslim festival, is celebrated every year as a way of remembering Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's command.

According to the Noble Qur'an, Abraham was ordered by God to slaughter his son Isma`eel; as difficult as this was, the prophet abided nonetheless. Just as he was about to do so, God replaced the son with a sheep.

A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares six others in sacrificing a camel or a cow as an act of worship during the feast.

It is mustahabb (preferable) to divide the meat of the sacrificed animal between one’s family, his relatives and the poor to manifest social integration.

Hawliat

Under the hawliat (annals) tradition, Somali marks in `Eid Al-Adha the death anniversary of relatives or grandfathers, believing that they will be blessed.

It falls under two categories. The first is limited to families and offered for dead fathers.

The offspring of the deceased hire sheikhs to read all chapters of the Noble Qur’an.

The second kind is traditionally offered for the soul of the great grandfather of a clan or a tribe and his dead sons.

They pray to God to bless his soul, opening their supplication with prayers for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions.

They further implore God to have mercy on Imam Al-Shafi`i -- whose Fiqh school is much followed in the country -- Sheikhs Ahmad Al-Fasi and Abdel Qadir Al-Jilani.

The practice is usually held at the graveyard of the deceased in the countryside. Neighbors and friends are invited to join the meat feast.

Afterwards, those who learnt the Qur’an by heart join forces and start reading whole chapters 114 times.