SALAH STATEMENT: STOP VIOLATING RIGHTS OF ANIMALS, RAMS – MURIC

3^rd June, 2025

SALAH STATEMENT:

STOP VIOLATING RIGHTS OF ANIMALS, RAMS – MURIC

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused some Muslims in the South West of violating the rights of animals, particularly Salah rams. The group alleged that some of the rams bought for sacrifice are often made to fight one another for ordinary fun. The group advised those who are doing this to put a halt to the habit which it described as wicked, sinful and disgusting.

This was disclosed in a statement released on Tuesday, 3^rd June, 2025 by the Executive Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement added:

“Our attention has been drawn to an ugly practice which is becoming common among some Muslims in the South West. Rams meant for Salah day sacrifices are sometimes led out by young Muslims (often without the knowledge of the adult owners) to fight with other rams in open spaces.

“MURIC strongly frowns at this practice. It is   wicked, sinful and disgusting. Muslims are actually expected to show kindness to animals even when such animals are meant for sacrifice. 

“While we must add that the owners of such rams are usually unaware of what their young ones are doing with their Salah rams, yet we need to know that a lot of disadvantages come with this evil practice. It inculcates violence in the youth and sometimes causes financial loss and emotional trauma to the owners.

“A video clip sent to us by a member is quite didactic in this regard. The clip showed two rams brought to an open space for the purpose of engaging each other in a fight. It was an uneven match as one ram was extremely huge while the other looked very skinny. A single knock from the big ram caused instant death of the small one.

“However, we were obliged to narrow down the offending zone to the South West of the country after a brief assessment conducted among the state chairmen of our organization. It was discovered that the practice is virtually nonexistent in other parts of Nigeria except Yorubaland. 

“For instance, the chairman of MURIC in Rivers State, Muhammed Ogbonda Emenike, denied the existence of such a practice in the South South. Barrister Ibrahim Chukwuma Obiahu, our chairman in Ebonyi, ruled it out categorically in the South East.

“Our Abuja FCT chairman, Ustadh Yunus Salaudeen, insisted that the system is outrightly alien in the North Central. Expectedly, the chairman of MURIC in Sokoto State, Dr. Barrister Muhammad Mansur denied ever hearing or seeing anything like it in the whole North.

“The above report makes the practice of ram-fighting during Salah period an exclusively South Western affair. But is it Islamic? Is it part of Shari’ah? The answer is capital NO and the reverse is what Islam teaches. For example, Qur’an 21:107 asserts that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was sent as a mercy to all the worlds, not only to homo sapiens but also to animals, fishes, amphibians, invertebrates, etc. 

“Muslims are expected to treat animals with care and compassion because the Prophet was also sent as a mercy unto the animal kingdom. Such kindness is rewarded by Allah. For instance, a woman of easy virtue was forgiven for using her socks to fetch water from a well for an extremely thirsty cat while another was reserved for jahannam (hell fire) for keeping a blind cat indoors until it died of hunger (Hadith).

“Even animals have right to life in Islam. They should not be killed for ordinary fun or treated wickedly. It therefore goes without saying that the issue of rights in Islam goes beyond the rights of human beings. Islam recognizes the rights of animals. 

“Being Allah’s creatures, they enjoy certain rights as well and they should not be unduly disturbed. Of course this is without prejudice to the fact that they were, ab initio, created to carry out certain assignments for mankind.

“Such divine assignments, for instance, include that of horses which are for riding by human beings while camels and donkeys are for carrying loads for men and goats serve as food for them just as explained in Qur’an 6:142, ‘And of the cattle (He produceth) some for burdens, some for food. Eat of that which Allah hath bestowed upon you’.

“The Qur’an also says, ‘He has created the cattle for you, in them there is warmth (their wool for cloths) and numerous benefits, and of them you eat (Qur’an 16:5-8) while it adds in 45:13, ‘He has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and the earth, all being from Him. Verily there are Signs in this for those who reflect’.

“But man must not transgress while enjoying all these benefits in animals. There is no gainsaying the fact, therefore, that engaging Salah rams for fights is a violation of Allah-given fundamental animal rights. As stated above, they all have their purposes for existing. They should not be abused. There is animal abuse just as there is child abuse.

“Muslims are expected to respect these rights. They are to sharpen their knives when slaughtering Salah ram so that a single slash will cut the ram’s throat. This will ensure that the ram does not suffer before it dies.

“They are to keep the knives away from where the rams can see them before being killed. One ear of the ram can also be used to cover the eye facing up. The ram is also expected to be still and calm before skinning it.

“Salah rams and other animals should be conveyed with dignity. They should not be carried in any way that can constitute harm to them. Those who are in the habit of carrying goats and chicken with the animals’ head held downward should take note of this.

“Will any of you love to be held with your heads down and carried over long distances? Wouldn’t you feel dizzy? Islam teaches all these because it is a religion of peace, mercy and kindness.  These are the ethics of ram handling and slaughtering in Islam.

“We call on the few Muslims in the South West who still engage rams in fun fights to stop such habit with immediate effect. It is important for them to know that cruelty to animals is against the law.

“Although the Nigerian Constitution does not explicitly address animal rights and cruelty against animals, the law still addresses wicked acts like making animals fight, kicking or flogging domestic animals. The punishment ranges from fines to imprisonments.

“MURIC charges the National Assembly to set the necessary machineries in motion for the criminalisation of cruelty to animals in general, particularly domestic animals like cats, dogs, horses, cows and donkeys. We advise Muslims in the region who buy rams for sacrifice to take necessary measures to prevent the animals from being abused by their children, wards and domestic aides.

“We appeal to the police, particularly in the South West, to protect the rights of domestic animals like Salah rams, chicken, goats, etc. Muslims who make rams fight themselves should be arrested and charged for cruelty to animals. We warn that any society that encourages wickedness towards animals can never succeed in eliminating crime and criminality within itself. Violence inspires violence and cruelty ignites bestiality.”

#SalahRams

#LikeHumanRightsLikeAnimalRights

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).