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May I  introduce... Faraheem

On the way to collect the milk each afternoon we pass Faraheem. Faraheem has an interesting livelihood – he sells goats! Only recently did I stop to hear some of his story.

Farahim hails from Bilaram village in Uttar Pradesh, the state adjoining Delhi. His wife died some time ago, so now he lives with his sister and Brother in our neighbourhood.

We already knew that while the biggest Muslim festival is Eid, (next week - at the end of Ramadan), the second biggest is 'Bakra Eid', 2 months after that. That's a festival celebrating Abraham's (near) sacrifice of his son (see below). For this festival many Muslim families buy a goat to sacrifice. The month leading up to Bakra Eid is thus the biggest earning month of the year for Faraheem!

For the rest of the year there is less demand for goats, but there is still some. For a celebration of a birth or a wedding, or for a special prayer for a sick person people may also sacrifice a goat. Hence Faraheem sells 3 or 4 goats a week for the rest of the year.

So if you ever need a goat to sacrifice, Faraheem is your man. A goat will only cost you Rs7,000 (US$150) or if you can't quite afford that, a small sheep will only set you back $75.

Please pray for  Faraheem

-  His Health – He often has breathing problems and pain all over his body. He currently takes some medicine everyday to manage it.

-  That any sacrifices people do with Faraheem's goats do actually bring them closer to God, rather than be just a religious ritual.

Did you know …

This festival, known as Eid ul Azha or Eid ul Zuha in Arabic, and commonly called Bakra (goat) Eid in North India, is celebrated on the 10^th - 12^th of Dhu’l Hijja, the 12^th month of the Islamic calendar.  It commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's command, and God's provision of a goat instead.  Any family who can afford it will sacrifice a goats, sheep or camel (or one each day).  The meat is eaten by the family and also shared with relatives and distributed to the poor and needy.

[Servants works in a number of Islamic settings, including India and Indonesia. This month is the month of Ramadan (also known as Ramazan), the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts about 30 days. It is a month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Each day this month we will be putting reflections, stories, and information about Islam on this website to help you learn more and pray for our Muslim friends.]