Islam_in_Focus_text

Concluding Remarks
Visiting the tomb of Prophet Muhammad at Medina is
not an essential obligation in making the Hajj valid and com-
plete. But it is always advisable and strongly recommended
that whoever can reach Medina should visit the Prophet's
tomb to pay his respect to the greatest teacher that humanity
has ever known.
It should be remembered that the climax of Hajj is
marked by offering a sacrifice, an oblation in the Way of
God, to celebrate the completion of this devotional course
and feed the poor so that they may feel the universal joy of
the
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Id Day. This duty is not undertaken by pilgrims only but
by all Muslims with means in every corner of the globe.
Some Muslims have raised the serious question that dur-
ing the Hajj season so many animals are slaughtered in sacri-
fice that enormous quantities of meat are wasted. The heat,
lack of refrigeration facilities, inadequate transportation, and
oversupply of meat over a few days leave most of that meat
unused or unusable. This is a new situation with new prob-
lems. The conscientious Muslim wants to know what he
should do in this case.
It is not necessary to engage in legalistic debates over
the learned opinions of respectable religious scholars, both
classical and contemporary. But we must remember that Is-
lam tolerates no waste of any kind or degree; that it responds