Eid-ul-Adha (Qurbani): Its origin and meaning.

[Al-Zakir]

Wednesday November 18 2009 11:23:29 AM BDT


By Mohammad Gani




We celebrate Eid-ul-Adha on the 10th of Zul- Hijja as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's (PBUH) willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah. God appeared in a dream to Ibrahim (PBUH) and told him to sacrifice his most beloved (son Isma'il). When his son was old enough to walk with him, Ibrahim said: "0 my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee. Tell me what you think". He replied, "Father, do as you are bidden. Allah willing, you shall find me faithful" (Sura Al Saffat: 37.100-102). The father and his beloved son walked side by side. A young boy possessed forbearance and the old man (Prophet Ibrahim) was full of determination and spirit to complete submission to Allah. Their purpose was to carry out the orders of their God. Nothing else was dearer to them than the service to Allah.

They proceeded towards Mina (Saudi Arabia) with a sharp butcher's knife in the old shaky Ibrahim's hand. Many memories and thoughts of the past must have crossed in father and son's minds! Finally they reached at a special spot. Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)) glared at his loving son whereas Prophet Isma'il (PBUH) cast a glance at his father obediently and cheerfully. The father laid his son prostrate on the ground. He was standing beside him. His heart was beating violently. He was shaking with emotions when he drew the knife across the neck of his son. It was a moment of action, an action that was very hard to put into practice. God instantly appreciated them for their obedience and they heard a voice: "0 Ibrahim! You have fulfilled your vision. Thus did We reward the righteous. That was indeed a bitter test. We ransomed his son with a noble sacrifice and bestowed on him the praise of later generations. Peace be on Ibrahim" (Surah Al-Saffat: 37:105). When Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) fulfilled the command of the dream, he was ordered not to sacrifice his own son. A ram was provided instead. Then Prophet Isma'il (PBUH) stood up and the ram was sacrificed. A moment of suspense and emotion came to an end; and both the father and the son expressed a deep sense of happiness and gratitude to almighty Allah. From that time until today, the savage custom of human sacrifice has been absolutely abolished. We must keep in mind that sacrifice is always painful but would only be painful if we have true love for those "sacrifices".

Muslims who can afford sacrifice their best "domestic" animals as a symbol of Prophet Ibrahim's sacrifice. The sacrificed animals have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. Generally, these must be at least a year old. At the time of sacrifice, Allah's name is recited along with the offering statement and a supplication as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said. According to the teachings of Islam, the sacrifice of animals is not offered to appease offended deities nor to win their favor as an atonement of sins. "Their flesh and blood do not reach Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him. Thus, We subjected them to your service, so that you may give glory to Him for guiding you” (Sura Al-Hajj, 22:37) In other words, the slaughtering of animals is a symbolic expression whereby a Muslim declares his readiness to lay down his own life and everything he owes for the sake of God Almighty.

The Holy Quran says, "And when they have fallen down eat of their flesh and feed with it the poor and the beggar" (Sure Al-Hajj 22-36). Traditionally though, the meat is divided into three equal shares, one share for the poor, one share for the relatives and neighbors and the last to keep to oneself.

Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) was born in the kingdom of Babylon what is now called Iraq, over four thousand years ago. He was born in a house of idolaters and his father Aazar was a well-known idol sculptor that his people worshipped. Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) is the father of monotheistic Faiths, went against his father and his community who were idol worshippers and upheld his belief in one God. To uphold his belief and his "Dawa" of the One God, he did not give in to Nimrud and his people who threatened him throwing into a blazing fire. Later, the court of justice in Babylon banished Ibrahim from the country. Only a woman named Sarah and a man named Lot (a Prophet?? Readers, please advise; ref: Sura Al-Hajj 22-42) believed in Allah and followed Ibrahim. He realized that nobody else would listen to him and decided to immigrate for the cause of Allah and to spread His Message elsewhere.

Ibrahim, Lot and Sarah started their long travel. They crossed Babylon, went through Syria and Palestine calling people to Allah, helping the poor and doing good deeds. By that time Ibrahim married Sarah. Their hope was to have children who would spread the Message of Allah after their death. As for Lot, he immigrated to the land of Sodom and settled there. Time went by and no child was born to Sarah. She realized that she was sterile. She accepted her fate and submitted to the will of Allah. Ibrahim and Sarah moved to Egypt where the king gave Sarah a woman to be her servant, name Hajar. Sarah saw Ibrahim's hair getting white and it grieved her to see his chance of having any child slipping away. She offered Hajar, her servant as a wife to her husband and prayed Allah to bless Hajar and Ibrahim with a child. And Ismail, a baby boy was born to Hajar.

When the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) displayed his unstinted submission to the orders of Allah by trying to sacrifice his beloved son Ismail, he was informed of a glad-tiding regarding the birth of baby from Sarah, his first wife. The Holy Qur'an affirms: "And we gave him Ishaq, whom We made a saintly Prophet and blessed them both. Among their offspring were some who did good works and others who clearly sinned against their souls (Surah Al-Saffat: 37: 112, 113 and Surah Houd, 11-69,71).Time passed by and Sarah, the old lady got pregnant. At last she gave birth to a male baby and they gave him the name of Ishaq. Later, Isma'il (PBUH) proved to be the Prophet of the Muslims and Ishaq (PBUH) became the Prophet of the Jews.

One day Ibrahim (PBUH) woke up and asked Hajar to prepare herself and baby Ismail for a long travel. Ibrahim and Hajar kept walking crossed a fertile land followed by barren mountains till they arrived at the Arabian Desert. Ibrahim brought Hajar to a high hill called al-Marwa, made her and her baby sit under a tree, placed a bag of dates and some water near her and then set out for home (to Sarah). Hajar ran after her husband Ibrahim (IPBUH) and said: "Are you going to leave us in this desert where there is no one to keep us company?" She repeated this many times but he would not look back at her. She asked: "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes". "Then He will not neglect us." She said. Ibrahim walked away until he got out of their sight, he raised his hands and prayed Allah: "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley with no cultivation, by Your Sacred House, in order that they may offer prayers. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them and provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks". He left them there trusting in God's promise to care for them.

The first House of Allah, the Ka'bah was erected by the Prophet Adam (PBUH). It was reconstructed by the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) and the Prophet Isma'il (PBUH) (Ref: Sura Al- Baqara: 2-125). The Muqam-e-Ibrahim is still outside the enclosure. It is a place of marble-like stone on which he stood to raise the walls of the sanctuary at Mecca. This stone contains the sunken imprints of the feet of the great Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)). The Holy Qur'an testifies to the hallowed sanctity of this stone by declaring it to be one of the Signs of Allah. "Lord! Make this (Mecca) a land of safety. Preserve me and my descendants from worshipping idols. (Surah: Al-Ibrahim, 14:35).

Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) lived for 175 years. His life was full of happenings, tests and trials. He had a firm faith in Allah. He never missed a moment's rest in calling for the message of Allah. He gained millions of believers. After death, Prophet Ibrahim was buried in Hebron, twenty miles south-west of Jerusalem.

[HAPPY EID MUBARAK TO YOU ALL].

Mohammad Gani (USA).
E-mail: mgani69@gmail.com

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