Can’t afford Sallah ram? Here are 4 other alternatives

Eid-El-Kabir celebration is around is corner but recession is already on the scene — hence the question around town is “how will Nigerian Muslims celebrate Sallah?”

As per tradition, every Muslim home celebrates Sallah by stocking the pot of stew with any and every kind of Islam-permitted meat while their non-Islamic friends are already deciding on the Muslim friend(s) to visit on the day when animals become meat.

But with the shape of the economy and scarcity of funds, many Muslim families may be unable to purchase rams.

So as not to go bankrupt in an effort to celebrate Sallah, here are some other alternatives to buying a ram.

Share a camel/cow

As a result of the current average price of N175,000 per ram, many will be unable to afford the animal and according to Islamic laws, ram cannot be shared.

But there’s a way out for those who can’t singlehandedly afford a ram. The same laws allow for the sharing of camels and cows by a maximum of 7 people.

Hence, you can always decide to share a camel or cow with your neighbour, friend or family and save a lot in the process.

Goat

However, if you are not big on sharing or simply do not want to share with the world, your inability to afford a ram/cow/camel alone, why not go for a much cheaper animal.

Another option is goat, an animal whose meat can be wholesome and nourishing, if properly cooked.

By choosing to purchase a goat, you can still fill two pots with enough meat for the celebration and friendly neighbours can still get a piece or two.

Chicken

If the economy is particularly tough on you, don’t attempt to break the bank because rainy days are here to stay, literally and figuratively.

The Holy Quran says: “Whoever can afford to offer Sacrifice but does not offer it, let him not come near our prayer place (Ibn Majah 3123)”.

With the current recession in the country, if you are only able to afford a chicken (or two), it’s enough to celebrate with the family.

Buy beef/whatever you can afford

Every Muslim, who can afford to offer sacrifice should go ahead and make the sacrifice but if you can’t and all that’s within you capability is a pot of soup, go ahead and celebrate with that.

You can get beef from the market to celebrate sallah with your family. One or two kilos of meat would go a long way because half-bread is better than none.