Cleanliness for bliss

Eid-ul-Adha, one of the most auspicious days for Muslims around the globe, induces many memories in our minds. The teaching of sacrificing what is dear to you, the sharing with those who are not privileged, the sense of solidarity in the community, the wonderful food in celebration of the occasion, and, unfortunately, the stench of animal wastes rotting everywhere. 

In a country where ''treating someone like cattle'' is an expression which implies that the cattle are treated as badly as possible, the stench is only half the problem. Staying in a congested place with hundreds of animals with large amount of wastes and fodder that are never considered as something to be kept clean, our intended sacrifices come to us already unhygienic and probably contaminated with virus, bacteria, and worms in and out. These germs and parasites make us vulnerable to many zoonotic diseases such as Salmonellosis, which leads to intestinal infection. 

While many developed Muslim countries have separate indoor places with a good drainage system for ensuring a hygienic sacrifice ritual, the idea of a slaughtering place stays alien to us. We are so used to seeing the animals slaughtered right in front of our houses, with blood trails everywhere that we fail to understand the effects of this unhygienic condition on our health. 

Most of us do wash and bleach the places right after the slaughter but even that is done ever so carelessly. The same happens with taking away the animal wastes. The city corporation takes away only a small fraction of the wastes while the rest are put in open places near to our habitations. 

These places then become the hub of disease carrying rodents, pests and fleas which bring the germs of rotting carcasses to our homes, making our family sick.

It is not only the wastes of our sacrifices that bring sufferings to us. The meat that we eat is often contaminated by the unhygienic process that our animals go through. While some parts of the process are irreproachable for us individuals, certain things can be done to make the Eid time cleaner and safer -

Making sure that the food which we give to the animals is healthy. It will ensure good meat.

Having a veterinarian check the animals for possible infections before slaughter. Eating contaminated meat can infect us as well, which gets life-threatening at times.

Regularly cleaning the place where we keep the animals and keeping ticks and flies away from them.

Cleaning the animals before slaughter and also making sure that they are dry at the moment of slaughter. Wet animals tend to be more affected by contact with outside germs.

Slaughtering in a sterile place. Even though it seems impossible to keep the slaughtering place clean, the slaughtered animal has to be kept away from cow dung and other wastes. We do not want harmful wastes to get inside the animal while it's breathing its last. Conducting the slaughtering and post-slaughter processes with professional butchers. In many families, it is a cherished tradition of the men to do the job of skinning and processing meat themselves in Qurbani Eid. Even then, they should get help from the professionals who will know how to do the job properly.

Using anti-bacterial cleaning products to wash the entire house and slaughtering place. Some places of your house might seem free from trails of blood but that does not mean they are free from germs. A product with a more pleasing smell than regular bleach will keep the festive aura alive.

There is no doubt that Eid will become an even more joyous occasion if the people that we care about are safe and sound. Ensure your families safety by maintaining utmost cleanliness in the whole process of Qurbani. 

Ultimately, cleanliness will help you in your ritual too because, keeping clean is a must in getting closer to the creator, the goal of the sacrifice.

By Afsin Ahmed
Photo Courtesy: Bengal Meat