Final Notes by Mr Ragon Sallah

Also published in Daily Trust

I would like to congratulate you for having me as your ragon sallah on this occasion, because you had apparently hustled desperately before you finally managed to get me, which was quite obvious from the way you breathed a sigh of relief when you got hold of my horn, and indeed the way you (while dragging me) exuded the satisfaction of a victorious warrior dragging his handcuffed captive.

After all, I realize the magnitude of the stigma unnecessarily attached to failure to afford at least one ragon sallah on this occasion, which has unfortunately made many people engage in different undignified and indeed illegitimate hustles, e.g. virtual begging (maula) and even fraud, in their desperation to avoid the stigma, thereby sacrificing their dignities even before they sacrifice the animals.

As a matter of fact, in Kano state, the issue of ragon sallah has been politicized and exploited as a tool for political manipulation and blackmail amongst politicians, after the current administration amended a law made by the previous administration which had made it compulsory upon the government to pay all civil servants “ram allowances”.  The amended law now leaves the matter to the discretion of the governor to decide whether to pay it or not on any given occasion.

All these even though I have heard Muslim clerics saying that, in the light of the appropriate religious provisions regarding animal sacrifice on this occasion, Muslim jurists disagree over its jurisprudential status, because while some of them hold the view that it is compulsory, others maintain that it is simply highly recommended.

Anyway, I must admit that ever since you brought me to your house I have enjoyed my life better than any time before. I appreciate how every member of your family not only serves me but actually pampers me for that matter, which explains why ever since you brought me here I have never lacked enough food and water before me all the time.

I also appreciate how you have always checked on me in the morning before leaving your home, and how you have always checked on me upon returning back home to ensure that I am doing well. Moreover, even during your absence I have never suffered loneliness because your kids have always been with me and indeed have often, and in order to show off with me, invited their friends to come and see me thereby attracting the envy of some of them whose parents could not afford it.

Nevertheless, I am not being that naïve to assume that all this pampering treatment you have given me is out of love for me per se; after all I have heard my companions i.e. your kids singing and expressing how much they are eagerly looking forward to witnessing the Eid Day in order to enjoy my meat. As a matter of fact I have heard them arguing over the ownership of some of my parts and organs.

Therefore, while I accept my destiny, and though I can see how you are eagerly preparing to slaughter me, I would like to share some few parting words with you hopefully it will benefit you much more than my meat.

I wish to remind you of the very essence of allowing you to slaughter and enjoy my meat in the first place, despite the fact that, being also a living thing with physical feeling, I will definitely suffer the horrible pain necessarily associated with the process of slitting my throat with a very sharp knife. This alone means there is a very important wisdom behind the religious provision to slaughter me especially on this occasion.

First of all, you need to keep your Ikhlas i.e. sincerity of intention completely intact otherwise you will not only be denied the Godly reward associated with sacrificing me, but you will incur a very serious sin instead. In other words, it is quite imperative to review your intention to make sure that you are not motivated any sense of show off or social pressure to match the trend or indeed any other motive negating the concept of Ikhlas.

Likewise, I strongly advise you against any superstitious practice commonly attached to handling me, which could amount to heresy or even worse. For instance, there is no need for washing me simply because I will be sacrificed. Similarly, never hang up my horn on the entrance of your house or any other place for that matter, as many people do under the illusion that it could prevent and protect the house against burglary and intrusion. Incidentally, my horn can neither protect nor cause any harm to anybody, after all it can’t save me from being slaughtered.

Also though I realize that perhaps you can’t remember the last time you quenched your cumulative appetite for meat due to the prevailing harsh economic condition, I nonetheless implore you to uphold the essence of sacrifice anyway, by sharing my meat to as many poor people (who can’t afford it) as possible. You should also keep in mind that, the practice of exchanging meat hand-outs between people who sacrifice animals instead of sharing it amongst those who couldn’t afford it, is a ploy to circumvent the religious provision related to the need for sharing the meat to the needy.

Moreover, though I understand that you have already acquired enough kanwa and date in anticipation of suffering from diarrhoea due to excessive intake of meat within a short period of time, I advise you to be cautious anyway lest you suffer dehydration and lose your already probably insufficient body hydration level.

Finally, while I wish you happy and enjoyable celebration, I pray that we run into each other briefly on the Last Day as you majestically walk into the heaven (God willing) while I am being turned into sand as destined by Allah the Almighty. Happy Sallah.