Kuala Lampur, May 25 -- As Muslims around the world prepare to celebrate Eid al-Adha, it may be worth asking a difficult but necessary question: are we still performing the sacrifice in the spirit Islam intended it to be performed?

Every year, social media becomes filled with distressing scenes during the Eid period. Animals are dragged harshly through crowded streets, slaughter is carried out without sufficient preparation or skill, carcasses are left exposed in unsanitary surroundings, and frightened livestock occasionally escape into public roads and traffic. In some countries, hospitals report a sharp rise in injuries linked to untrained individuals attempting to carry out the sacrifice themselves.

These incidents are not reflection...