Slaughtering of animals is one of the great rituals of Islam, especially for the Eid Al Adha celebration.

According to an Islamic question and answer website, Islamqa.com, the sacrifice is an act of worship to Allah.

The animals are slaughtered during the period from after the Eid prayer on the Day of Nahr (Eid al-Adhaa) until the last of the Days of Tashreeq (the 13th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah), with the intention of offering sacrifice.

The kinds of animals prescribed for sacrifice are camels, cattle and sheep.

With barely two days to the celebration of Eid, some Nigerians have bought their animals while others are hoping that the rising price of rams and cows in the market will drop to a considerable amount.

The price of the animals are on the high side and it is important for Muslims to watch their animals closely.

In this report, Integrity News correspondent, Kamil Sodiq, gives basic tips to Muslims regarding their safety as well as the animals’.

1. Keep your eyes on them

The price of ram so far this year has pushed out some criminals to result to full scale ram-rustling. Keep your eyes on your animals. There are criminals everywhere.

1. Be mindful of free-roving sheep 🐑

Never release your ram where there are free roving sheep, under no condition!

Some years back, a neighbor’s ram went on a journey of no return with a flock of unknown sheep. She raised the animal for several months before it suddenly disappeared with some stray ‘fine babes.’ She celebrated the Eid of that year with a painful heart. That’s another sad story that must be avoided.

1. Be mindful of the withdrawal period before you inject your animals.

It is better to avoid injecting your animals if you plan to slaughter them for sallah. The days are too close to try that. The withdrawal period must be taken into consideration if at all you plan to inject them for a reason or the other.

The withdrawal period, please be aware, is a specific set period of time, after the last dose of the veterinary medicine has been administered, that must elapse before an animal or foodstuffs from an animal can enter the food chain.

1. Do not tie two violent rams 🐏 🐏 close to each other

Last year, a friend lost one of his three giant rams to violent clashes. He was away for hours when the animals engaged themselves in a neck-breaking all-out brawl. The battle led to the death of a ram that was worth more than 250,000 naira as of today. It was a heart-disturbing situation for him. Don’t tie two violent animals together, please!

1. Feed them well

Give your animals enough food and water to keep their system running and working fine ahead of the day you need them. Let them eat and enjoy themselves.

1. Keep rat poisons ☠ and other dangerous substances away from your animals.

May we never be unfortunate!

About two years ago, I was at the popular Mandate market in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, last year. There, I saw a ram struggling to stand. I asked questions about it and I was told that the innocent animal ate rat poison. It was a monumental loss for the owner. The ram was about 300,000 naira in value.

1. Never allow your ram to fight other animals

Ram fighting is fast reducing but it is still active in Lagos among other places. Chances are there that your ram may not survive it when you take it out to fight. Many animals meant for Sallah have died on the battlefield with others. Don’t fight with your ram is the answer.

1. Don’t tie a violent ram close to a violent cow

There are cases out there of crazy rams breaking the legs of cows meant for sallah and violent cows harming a gentle ram tied close to it. Tie your animals apart so as to avoid stories that touch.

1. Beware of crazy goats

Late last year, a goat pierced the neck of a ram with its sharp horns in a fight. Although it was not a life threatening injury. Some goats can be crazy in their style of aggression. Underrate them at your own peril.

1. Keep an eye on your animals while feeding them

We have heard cases of animals knocking their owners to death while feeding/working /walking around them. Be mindful of your animals whether they have prior history of aggressive behaviour or not. Some animals can be aggressive and deadly.