3rd June, 2025
SALAH STATEMENT:
STOP VIOLATING
RIGHTS OF ANIMALS, RAMS – MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused some
Muslims in the South West of violating the rights of animals, particularly
Salah rams. The group alleged that some of the rams bought for sacrifice are
often made to fight one another for ordinary fun. The group advised those who
are doing this to put a halt to the habit which it described as wicked, sinful
and disgusting.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Tuesday,
3rd June, 2025 by the Executive Director of the organization,
Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement added:
"Our attention has been drawn to an ugly
practice which is becoming common among some Muslims in the South West. Rams
meant for Salah day sacrifices are sometimes led out by young Muslims (often
without the knowledge of the adult owners) to fight with other rams in open
spaces.
"MURIC
strongly frowns at this practice. It is wicked, sinful and
disgusting. Muslims are actually expected to show kindness to animals even when
such animals are meant for sacrifice.
"While we must add that the owners of such
rams are usually unaware of what their young ones are doing with their Salah
rams, yet we need to know that a lot of disadvantages come with this evil
practice. It inculcates violence in the youth and sometimes causes financial
loss and emotional trauma to the owners.
"A video clip sent to us by a member is quite
didactic in this regard. The clip showed two rams brought to an open space for
the purpose of engaging each other in a fight. It was an uneven match as one
ram was extremely huge while the other looked very skinny. A single knock from
the big ram caused instant death of the small one.
"However,
we were obliged to narrow down the offending zone to the South West of the
country after a brief assessment conducted among the state chairmen of our
organization. It was discovered that the practice is virtually nonexistent in
other parts of Nigeria except Yorubaland.
"For instance, the chairman of MURIC in
Rivers State, Muhammed Ogbonda Emenike, denied the existence of such a practice
in the South South. Barrister Ibrahim Chukwuma Obiahu, our chairman in Ebonyi,
ruled it out categorically in the South East.
"Our Abuja FCT chairman, Ustadh Yunus
Salaudeen, insisted that the system is outrightly alien in the North Central.
Expectedly, the chairman of MURIC in Sokoto State, Dr. Barrister Muhammad
Mansur denied ever hearing or seeing anything like it in the whole North.
"The
above report makes the practice of ram-fighting during Salah period an
exclusively South Western affair. But is it Islamic? Is it part of
Shari'ah? The answer is capital NO and the reverse is what Islam teaches. For
example, Qur'an 21:107 asserts that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was sent as a mercy
to all the worlds, not only to homo sapiens but also to animals, fishes,
amphibians, invertebrates, etc.
"Muslims are expected to treat animals with
care and compassion because the Prophet was also sent as a mercy unto the
animal kingdom. Such kindness is rewarded by Allah. For instance, a woman of
easy virtue was forgiven for using her socks to fetch water from a well for an
extremely thirsty cat while another was reserved for jahannam (hell
fire) for keeping a blind cat indoors until it died of hunger (Hadith).
"Even
animals have right to life in Islam. They should not be killed for ordinary fun
or treated wickedly. It therefore goes without saying that the issue of rights
in Islam goes beyond the rights of human beings. Islam recognizes the rights of
animals.
"Being Allah's creatures, they enjoy certain
rights as well and they should not be unduly disturbed. Of course this is
without prejudice to the fact that they were, ab initio, created to
carry out certain assignments for mankind.
“Such divine assignments, for instance, include
that of horses which are for riding by human beings while camels and donkeys
are for carrying loads for men and goats serve as food for them just as
explained in Qur'an 6:142, ‘And of the cattle (He produceth) some for burdens,
some for food. Eat of that which Allah hath bestowed upon you’.
"The Qur’an also says, ‘He has created the
cattle for you, in them there is warmth (their wool for cloths) and numerous
benefits, and of them you eat (Qur'an 16:5-8) while it adds in 45:13, ‘He has
subjected to you all that is in the heavens and the earth, all being from Him.
Verily there are Signs in this for those who reflect’.
"But
man must not transgress while enjoying all these benefits in animals. There is
no gainsaying the fact, therefore, that engaging Salah rams for fights is a
violation of Allah-given fundamental animal rights. As stated above, they all
have their purposes for existing. They should not be abused. There is animal
abuse just as there is child abuse.
"Muslims are expected to respect these
rights. They are to sharpen their knives when slaughtering Salah ram so that a
single slash will cut the ram's throat. This will ensure that the ram does not
suffer before it dies.
"They are to keep the knives away from where
the rams can see them before being killed. One ear of the ram can also be used
to cover the eye facing up. The ram is also expected to be still and calm
before skinning it.
“Salah rams and other animals should be conveyed
with dignity. They should not be carried in any way that can constitute
harm to them. Those who are in the habit of carrying goats and chicken with the
animals’ head held downward should take note of this.
“Will any of you love to be held with your heads
down and carried over long distances? Wouldn’t you feel dizzy? Islam teaches
all these because it is a religion of peace, mercy and kindness. These
are the ethics of ram handling and slaughtering in Islam.
"We call on the few Muslims in the South West
who still engage rams in fun fights to stop such habit with immediate effect.
It is important for them to know that cruelty to animals is against the
law.
“Although the Nigerian Constitution does not
explicitly address animal rights and cruelty against animals, the law still
addresses wicked acts like making animals fight, kicking or flogging domestic
animals. The punishment ranges from fines to imprisonments.
“MURIC
charges the National Assembly to set the necessary machineries in motion for
the criminalisation of cruelty to animals in general, particularly domestic
animals like cats, dogs, horses, cows and donkeys. We advise Muslims in the
region who buy rams for sacrifice to take necessary measures to prevent the
animals from being abused by their children, wards and domestic aides.
“We appeal to the police, particularly in the
South West, to protect the rights of domestic animals like Salah rams, chicken,
goats, etc. Muslims who make rams fight themselves should be arrested and
charged for cruelty to animals. We warn that any society that encourages wickedness
towards animals can never succeed in eliminating crime and criminality within
itself. Violence inspires violence and cruelty ignites bestiality.”
#SalahRams
#LikeHumanRightsLikeAnimalRights
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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