Cleric warns Muslims against using ill-gotten money to buy ram

An Abuja-based Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Yahya Al-Yolawi, on Monday, advised Muslims to only use their legitimate means to buy ram for Eid-el-Kabir sacrifice.

The cleric, who warned Muslims against using ill-gotten money for the purchase ram for sacrifice, noted that the Almighty Allah was pure and would accept only that which was clean and pure.

Al-Yolawi also admonished Muslims to have good intention for the sacrifice because it was a prerequisite to achieving acceptable sacrifice.

According to him, the meat or blood of the sacrificed ram cannot reach but Allah is only concern about the piety of a believer.

Al-Yolawi explained that the act of slaughtering animal as sacrifice was a tradition that was highly encouraged among Muslims, which was performed on the 10th of Zul-Hijjah and the following three days.

“It is an essential religious rite in memory of the sacrifice performed by Prophet Ibrahim.

“ It involves the slaughtering of domestic animal (sheep, goat, cow or camel) and offering it as a sacrifice during these days of Sallah celebrations, “ he said.

He enjoined Muslims to ensure that the animal to be sacrificed had reached the required age, adding a minimum of six months for a sheep, one year for a goat, two years for cow and five years for camel.

“It should be healthy and physically fit, free of any defect, because Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said there are four that will not do for sacrifice”.

“A one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is obvious and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones.“

Meanwhile, the cleric warned youths to avoid exceeding the limit of Islamic rules in sallah celebrations by committing sinful, immoral acts and indulging in extravagance lifestyle.

“ Allah says indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful,“ he said.