The True Spirit of Qurbani (Sacrifice)
Islam's
attitude towards ritual slaughter is not that of blood atonement, or seeking
favour with Allah through another's death, but rather, the act of thanking
Allah for one's sustenance.
"Eid
AI-Adha" is at the doorstep, many rams, cows, camels, of course, are tied
to be slaughtered. What is the concept of sacrifice in Islam?
Actually, there are many misconceptions in the mind of many non-Muslims,
who fail to perceive the significance and wisdom behind acts of worship in
Islam. That is why addressing those misconceptions becomes obligatory in order
to erase distortions about Islam.
We must look at
the occurrences of sacrifice in a contextual manner, understanding not only the
pre-lslamic institution of sacrifice, the Qur'anic reforms concerning this
practice, and the continuance of sacrifice in the Muslim world, but also the
context in which the Qur'anic revelations occurred. For it seems that with many
people, both non-Muslims and Muslims alike, context is the key that they are
missing.
What was the
situation in pre-Islamic Arabia with regard to animal sacrifice? Not only did
the pagan Arabs sacrifice to a variety of gods with hopes of attaining
protection or some favour or material gain, but so, too, did the Jews of that
time seek to appease the God by blood sacrifice. Islam, however, broke away
from this longstanding tradition of appeasing God. Neither is the idea of
gaining favour by offering the life of another to Allah. In Islam, all that is
demanded as a sacrifice is one's personal willingness to submit one's ego and
individual will to Allah.
One only has to
look at how the Qur'an treats this subject, to see a marked difference
regarding sacrifice and whether or not Allah is appeased by blood. The Qur'anic
account of the sacrifice of Ismail ultimately speaks against blood atonement.
Allah says :
"Then when (the son) reached the age of serious work with him, he
said: "O my son; I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see
what is thy view;" (The son) said: "O my father; Do as thou art
commanded: Thou wilt find me, if Allah so wills one practicing patience and
constancy;" So when they had both submitted their will to Allah, and he
had laid him prostrate on his forehead for sacrifice, We called out to him,
"O Abraham; Thou hast already fulfilled the vision;" Thus indeed do
We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial and We ransomed
him with a momentous sacrifice." (37:102-107)
Notice that the Qur'an never says that Allah told Abraham to kill
(sacrifice) his son. Here, it teaches us that Abraham had a dream in which he
saw himself slaughtering his son. Abraham believed the dream and thought that
the dream was from Allah. However, in Abraham and Ismail's willingness to make
the ultimate sacrifice -Abraham of his son, Ismail of his own life - they are
able to transcend notions of self and false attachment to the material realm,
thus removing a veil between themselves and Allah.
As far as the
yearly tradition that has followed this event, that is, the sacrificing of a
ram to commemorate Abraham and Ismail's great self-sacrifice, we must
understand it and the Qur'anic verses that pertain to animal sacrifice, in
relation to the time and place circumstances under which these revelations were
received and how people were trying to make a personal sacrifice by sharing
their limited means of survival with poorer members of their community.
That is to say, the underlying implication of Islam's attitude towards
ritual slaughter is not that of blood atonement or seeking favour with Allah
through another's death but rather, the act of thanking Allah for one's
sustenance and personal sacrifice of sharing one's possessions and valuable
food with one's fellow human. The ritual itself is not the sacrifice. It is
merely a method of killing where the individuals kill as quickly as possible
and acknowledge that only Allah has the right to take a life and that they do
so as a humble member of Allah's creation in need of sustenance just like every
other species in Allah's creation.
Allah also
says: "To every people did we appoint rites (of sacrifice) that they might
celebrate the name of Allah over the sustenance He gave them from animals (fit
for food). But your God is one God: Submit then your will to Him (in Islam):
and give thou the good news to those who humble themselves." (AI-Hajj: 34)
This is the
true end of sacrifice, not propitiation of higher powers, for Allah is one, and
He does not delight in flesh and blood, but a symbol of thanks-giving to Allah
by sharing meat with fellow humans. The solemn pronounce-ment of Allah's name
over the sacrifice is an essential part of the rite."
Allah says:
"It is not
their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches
Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His
guidance to you: And proclaim the Good News to all who do right."
(AI-Hajj:37)
"No one
should suppose that meat or blood is acceptable to the one God. It was a pagan
fancy that Allah could be appeased by blood sacrifice. But Allah does accept
the offering of our hearts, and as a symbol of such offer, some visible
institution is necessary. He has given us power over the animals, and permitted
us to eat meat, but only if we pronounce His name at the solemn act of taking
life, for without this solemn invocation, we are apt to forget the sacredness
of life. By this invocation we are reminded that wanton cruelty is not in our
thoughts, but only the need for food".
It is quite
clear from the Qur'anic passages above that the issue of animal sacrifice is in
relation to the role animals played in Arabian society at that place and time
(as well as other societies with similar climates and culture), in that humans
are commanded to give thanks to Allah and praise Allah for the sustenance He
has given them and that they should sacrifice something of value to themselves
to demonstrate their appreciation for what they have been given (which in their
case was the very animals on which their survival was based). (Courtesy: The
Islamic Voice)
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