The Hajj in modern times

I want to clarify a point relating to ritual sacrifice that readers might misinterpret in Vincent Hanlon's article on the Hajj.¹ In former times animals that were slaughtered were not burned, for religious reasons. Islamic tradition dictated that the pilgrim who sacrificed an animal should keep some of the meat for himself and his family and give the rest to destitute people. However, with hundreds of thousands of animals being sacrificed each year it became practically impossible to transport all of the meat to needy people, hence the practice of burning the carcasses of animals whose meat could not be given away. Muslims are excited about recent moves to establish a formal meat distribution system, as alluded to by Hanlon, to minimize waste and maximize the delivery of meat to those in need.

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Shabbir M.H. Alibhai
Physician Richmond Hill, Ont.