IDB highlights availability of Adahi ahead of Hajj

The President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali has highlighted the Saudi Project for Utilization of Hajj Meat (Adahi) and asked Hajj pilgrims to avoid the adahi facilities at peak times. 

Since 1983, IDB has been assigned by the Government of KSA as the sole operator of Adahi, an environment-friendly project that secures the cleanliness of the holy places. Adahi facilitates the performance of Hajj rituals for pilgrims by providing hygienically healthy livestock in accordance with all shari’ah requirements.

By Royal Decree, IDB also has the sole exclusive right to sell all types of Adahi coupons. These coupons can be purchased by individuals or Hajj missions at www.adahi.org or through registered and reliable sellers at numerous points of sale in the holy places. A special Adahi team follows up the performance of the rituals for every purchased coupon within the expected shari’ah-compatible time and the coupon owner is informed about the issue via SMS or email.

“The follow up reports on the performance of the rituals are available online around the clock,” Dr Ali said. “The Adahi coupons may also be purchased at all post offices, all over the KSA or in Makkah through all the branches of the Al Rajhi Bank, Mobily offices, the Safe Services Systems Company, or via the Hadiyyat el Haaj wal Mutamir Company.”

Dr Ali underlined that during its 34 years of service history, Adahi has facilitated the performance of Hajj rites for pilgrims by saving them the burden of finding livestock that meets all shari’ah and health standards. Prior to entering the facilities, animals are screened by 670 veterinarians and 700 shari’ah scholars to ensure full compliance of the processes with the required standards.

Adahi distributes the Hajj meat among the needy at the Holy Mosque and adjacent areas as well as in other parts in the Kingdom through charity organisations. Surplus meat is distributed among needy people in 23 countries around the world. 

Coupons for 2016 (1437) cost SR460, US$122 or 110 Euros (prices may fluctuate depending on the exchange rate). 

Lambs still available for Korban 2015: MUIS

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has shared that 315 lambs from Ireland are still available for sale for Korban 2015.

Those who wish to participate in Korban can register at the following mosques for lambs priced at S$570 each:

• Assyafaah Mosque - 1 Admiralty Lane Singapore 757620 - Tel: 6756 3008
• Ahmad Ibrahim Mosque - 15 Jalan Ulu Seletar Singapore 769227 - Tel: 6454 0848
• Hang Jebat Mosque - 100 Jalan Hang Jebat Singapore 139533 - Tel: 6471 0728
• An-Nahdhah Mosque - 9A Bishan Street 14 Singapore 579786 - Tel: 6354 3138
• Omar Salmah Mosque - 441B Jalan Mashhor Singapore 299173 - Tel: 6250 0120
• Malabar Mosque - 471 Victoria Street Singapore 198370 - Tel: 6294 3862 
• Jamiyah Ar-Rabitah Mosque - 601 Tiong Bahru Road Singapore 158787 - Tel: 6273 3848

Interested?

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about Korban 2015 in Singapore

Aqiqah Singapore offers korban options in Indonesia, Singapore

AqiqahSingapore.com, the online aqiqah/korban ordering service for the Muslim community in Singapore, is offering korban from S$180 per sheep or goat this year. Orders are open till 23 September for korban rites in Indonesia or Australia. There is a S$10 discount for existing customers with the coupon code 'oldcustomer'.

For korban rites in Australia, the organisation does the slaughtering, skinning and butchering of the sheep in Australia, then delivers the air-flown meat to a requested destination or distributes it to the needy in Singapore. Each sheep costs S$295. There is a delivery charge of S$15 per animal to each location.

Korban in Indonesia will be performed in Semarang, with a single price of S$180 for all goats and sheep of similar size. Cows may be shared by seven people, at S$155 per share while the whole cow costs S$1,050. All meat will be distributed to needy Muslims and Muslim nonprofit organisations which focus on caring for the poor/needy.

Participants will receive a certificate of korban (sijil korban) within two months of the completion of the korban for Indonesian requests. Participants also receive photos and may download a video about the overall process from the organisation's cloud storage in one to two months after completion of Korban 2015.

Korban 2015 Singapore to have more sheep and lambs

The Singapore Mosques Korban Committee (JKMS) has successfully secured more livestock for the Muslim community for the korban rites this year. A total of 3,700 animals, consisting of 2,000 sheep from Australia and 1,700 lambs from Ireland, are available for korban at 25 mosques.

JKMS chairman, Ustaz Rashid Ramli stated, “JKMS is grateful to be able to safeguard the syiar of korban for the Singapore Muslim community in 2015. We have secured a total of 3,700 animals for the community, at a lower price compared to last year. Our mosques are on track with preparations for the Korban, and are ready to receive orders from the jemaah. We will work
to continually improve our services and pray for smooth Korban operations this year.”

Registration for Korban 2015 opens on 1 August 2015 and will close on 14 September 2015. Members of the public who wish to perform Korban can register their intent and submit their particulars at the 25 listed mosques for orders of sheep and lamb. Paper forms for both Irish and Australian sheep are available at all 25 mosques on 1 August 2015.

The price of each sheep supplied by the approved Korban vendor (AKV) for 2015 for each Australian sheep is set at S$490, S$9 less per sheep* as compared to the price in 2014. The price for each lamb offered is set at S$570, S$5 less per lamb than the price in 2014.

While Australia remains the primary source of livestock for Korban in Singapore, JKMS continues to work with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) to explore alternative sources that meet the highest criteria of Singapore’s food safety, animal health and veterinary public health standards.

In 2013, Muis and JKMS conducted a trial for a secondary source of livestock so as to avoid any unforeseen supply disruption in the future. Five hundred sheep from Canada were brought in for korban in addition to the usual supply of livestock from Australia, the trial was a success. In 2014, 1,500 lambs from Ireland were brought in successfully for korban rites.

This year MES, the AKV, explored opportunities to import from AVA-approved sources and proposed to import lamb from Ireland and sheep from Australia. Upon weighing the options, JKMS decided that this was the most cost effective and best possible option for Korban 2015.

Source: MUIS. The 25 mosques offering korban services.

Korban using Australian sheep will be conducted at 12 mosques that meet the requirements of Australia’s Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS)* regulatory framework. While korban using Irish lamb are not subjected to ESCAS audit, in keeping with JKMS' livestock management and animal handling standards, the 13 participating mosques offering Irish lamb will adopt the same standard operating procedures for Korban operations, which includes transporting, handling and slaughtering of livestock, at all venues. These standards are in accordance with the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (OIE) internationally accepted animal welfare and food hygiene standards

Interested?

Address questions on Korban 2015 to Ustaz Rashid Ramli, Chairman of JKMS at +65 6631 0153 or Mohd Badrulhisham, at +65 6359 1404

Update 3 August 2015: Read the FAQs

*A sheep in its first year is called a lamb. Sheep are so categorised if they are more than one year old.

**In addition to the 12 mosques, two Malay/Muslim organisations will continue to offer Australian sheep this year.

***ESCAS is a regulatory framework implemented by the Australian Government in 2012 to ensure that livestock exported from Australia to different countries are treated in accordance to the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (OIE) internationally accepted animal welfare standards. To comply, the Australian exporter must provide a report from an independent and internationally accredited auditor to certify that livestock to be exported meet the standards required from the farm to the point of slaughter.

****The OIE is an inter-governmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide. It is recognised as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and, in 2011, had a total of 178 member countries and territories, including Singapore.

posted from Bloggeroid

Adahi now has a mobile point of sale

The Saudi Project for the Utilization of Hajj Meat (Adahi), managed by Islamic Development Bank (IDB), has introduced the Adahi Mobile Point of Sale to make it convenient for Hajj pilgrims and others to purchase e-coupons for Hady, Fidya, Odhyia, Sadaqa or Aqeqa*.

Source: Adahi website.

"An e-coupon with the project name and logo along with the price will be printed and an SMS sent to the buyer to confirm the transaction,” the Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali, explained.

He further stated that the Project is designed to make it easy for pilgrims to perform the ritual by providing animals that meet all shari'ah and health requirements and by ensuring that the environment around the Holy Sites remains clean and protected. 

“Since its inception in 1403H (1983), the Project has managed to utilise and distribute more than 17 million livestock amongst the poor in Saudi Arabia and 27 other countries,” he said.

The IDB Group Chairman indicated that the Project’s website www.adahi.org is designed to enable individuals intending to buy sheep for Hady, Odhiya, Sadaqa, Fidya, and Aqeqa to do so with a credit card all year round, from any part in the world. The prices vary by the year. This year (1435, or 2014) a coupon will cost SR490 (US$131 or 98 Euros, according to the current exchange rate).

He also indicated that people can purchase the direct sale coupons from Saudi post offices, branches of Al Rajhi Bank, Al Amoudi foreign exchange bureaus, the Association of Charity Gift for Pilgrims, and the Way for Retail Techniques Company.

Dr Ali stressed that according to Royal Decree 131 of 15/6/1419H (5/10/1998), the sole institution authorised to sell Adahi coupons is confined to the Saudi Arabia Project for the Utilization of Hajj Meat. The IDB Group Chairman also emphasised that all the animals are inspected by veterinary doctors and shari'ah scholars to ensure that the animals meet all shari'ah and health requirements.He further shared that the Project has so far made provisions for 750,000 sheep and 10,000 cows and camels.

The Chairman commended the Project for enabling pilgrims to perform this rite with great ease and thus focus on other Hajj rites. He added that the Project helps to make the meat available to the relevant beneficiaries among the poor in Makkah, after which the surplus is distributed to the poor in 27 other countries.

According to the Adahi website, hady meat from last year's Hajj was sent to various countries in Africa, but also to Bangladesh and Yemen.

*Definitions

• Aqeqa or aqiqah is about a sacrifice made on the occasion of a birth.
• Fidya or fidyah refers to payments made if fasting is not done during Ramadhan.
• Hady or hadi is the sacrifice of a suitable animal in Makkah during the Hajj by pilgrims. It is carried out between 10 and 13 Dhul-Hijjah. 
• Odhiya or udhiyah, also called qurbani or korban, is the sacrifice of a suitable animal for Eid Al Adha by people who are not on Hajj. Some scholars say it is obligatory whereas others believe it is part of tradition.
• Sadaqa, or sadaqah, refers to charity.