Concept of animal sacrifice in major religions

Almost all major religions in the world has the concept of animal sacrifice but it is unfortunate that west and Christians attack only Islam for animal sacrifice during Eid-ul-Adha.About 1 billion animals are being killed each day by KFC,McDonalds,Burger­ king etc. to feed the rich and make the money.Customer of these company are mostly western world and also those people who talks about animal rights and raise objection against animal sacrifice during Eid-ul-adha.During Eid-ul-adha muslims sacrifice animal to feed the poor for free and thats the difference.Now lets see what Qura’an and other religious book says about animal sacrifice or meat eating.

Islam: Sacrifice, as practised by Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allahu Alaihe wasallam) is an essential religious rite in memory of the sacrifice performed by Prophet Abraham Alaihe salam.The aim of sacrifice, like all other fundamentals of Islam, is to imbibe piety and self righteousness. It also promotes the spirit of sacrifice for a right cause. To explain its purpose, Allah says in the Quran “It is not their meat, nor their blood, that reaches God, It is their piety that reaches God” (22:37)AAllah also says in the Qura’an “ To your Lord turn in prayer and sacrifice” (108:2).

Christianity: There are many verses in the bible that talks about animal sacrifice or meat eating.
Exodus 29:31 says,
"You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place.

Leviticus 9:3-4 says,
"Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD will appear to you.'"

Leviticus 23:19 says,
'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

Numbers 6:14 says,
'He shall present his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering and one ewe-lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering and one ram without defect for a peace offering,

Hinduism: Hindu scriptures are witnesses to such sacrifices and killings of animals for consumption. References of such commands are replete in Hindu scriptures like Manusmriti, Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmins, Grihsutras, Dharmasutras and others.Animal sacrifice in hinduism is termed as 'BALI'.Even today millions of animal is sacrified in India and Nepal.

Here are few verses from hindu scriptures thats talks about animal sacrifice or meat eating.

Manusmriti (Chapter 5 / Verse 30) says, “It is not sinful to eat meat of eatable animals, for Brahma has created both the eaters and the eatables.”

Manusmriti (5 / 35) states: When a man who is properly engaged in a ritual does not eat meat, after his death he will become a sacrificial animal during twenty-one rebirths.

Maharishi Yagyavalkya says in Shatpath Brahmin (3/1/2/21) that, “I eat beef because it is very soft and delicious.”

Apastamb Grihsutram (1/3/10) says, “The cow should be slaughtered on the arrival of a guest, on the occasion of ‘Shraddha’ of ancestors and on the occasion of a marriage.”

Rigveda (10/85/13) declares, “On the occasion of a girl’s marriage oxen and cows are slaughtered.”

Rigveda (6/17/1) states that “Indra used to eat the meat of cow, calf, horse and buffalo.”

Vashistha Dharmasutra (11/34) writes, “If a Brahmin refuses to eat the meat offered to him on the occasion of ‘Shraddha’ or worship, he goes to hell.”

After reading above verses from major religions,it is quite clear that not only in Islam but in all religions concept of animal sacrifice is present and even practised.

Khaksar-Shahid Akhtar