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How ‘qurban’ season can reduce inequality
As the country with the largest Muslim population, Indonesia has an historic tradition called qurban (sacrifice) that can potentially curb inequality, though the current practice only focuses on meat distribution to the poor. #opinion
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Qurban is an Islamic practice whereby the wealthy are required to sacrifice an animal to honor God as mentioned in the Quran’s Surah Al Kauthar (Abundance), “so pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]”. (JP/Budhi Button)
Inequality is a prominent global problem, including for Indonesia.
Despite our economic growth in the last decade, our latest Gini coefficient is 0.38, which still indicates a wide gap.
In addition, on Oxfam’s latest Commitment to Reducing Inequality index, which comprises 157 countries, Indonesia ranks 90th, lower than our neighbors such as Thailand ( 74 ) and Malaysia ( 75 ). The index ranks policies and commitments to social spending, taxation and labor wages and protection.
However, as the country with the largest Muslim population, Indonesia has an historic tradition called qurban (sacrifice) that can potentially curb inequality, though the current practice only focuses on meat distribution to the poor.
Qurban is an Islamic practice whereby the wealthy are required to sacrifice an animal to honor God as mentioned in the Quran’s Surah Al Kauthar (Abundance), “so pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]”. The verse reflects equality between prayer as a transcendental and direct connection to God and sacrifice as a diametric relationship among people, through the distribution of meat and sharing of economic impacts through livestock trading during the qurban festive season of Idul Adha.
The holy day, which falls on Aug. 11 this year in Indonesia, commemorates the event where Prophet Abraham was ordered to sacrifice his son, but God suddenly provided a ram for the sacrifice.
Prophet Muhammad also emphasized the urgency of qurban, which says Allah will reward every single strand of wool with goodness in the practice of qurban.
