The Profound Outcome of the Total Submission

The Profound Outcome of the Total Submission

Qurbani is an act of worship of sacrificing an animal most commonly like a cow, sheep or goat; re-enacting the Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his Son Prophet Ishmail (as). Eid Al Adha is referred to as Eid Al Akbar (The Big Celebration). ILM Foundation’s aim in this blog is to share some principles associated with this rich tradition and the deep blessings attached to it.  Qurbani (قُرْبَانِ) means to draw near. Prophet Ibrahim and his son demonstrate a Divine Master’s Class chronicled in the Quran of Qurbani in practice.

Qurbani in the Quran

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ

And when he reached the age of striving alongside him, he said: 'My son I see in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So, tell me, what do you see?' He said: 'My father do what you have been commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the steadfast."

And We ransomed him with a magnificent sacrifice.

Submission draws us to Allah, it requires strength; yet we have no strength to do good or refrain from evil expect from the strength allotted to us from Allah. Allah planted deep in the souls of both father and son the capacity to surrender on an unbelievable high level. Their combined voluntary willingness to submit in obedience to Allah what they loved the most, resulted in Allah accepting their act of devotion, then replacing the son with a great sacrifice of Ram. Every act of obedience we are drawing away from what Allah dislikes to what Allah likes.

Qurbani is a re-enactment Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his son Prophet Ishmail (as) moment of total surrender, demonstrating complete love to Allah. Seeking to be a part of this act of Qurbani as a donor, the one who slaughters, a livestock farmer, or distributor of the halal meat to those in need brings us into the moment of total surrender displayed by the Friend of Allah and his son.

This is perhaps the most important verse on Qurbani:

لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ"

Neither their flesh nor their blood ever reaches Allah, but what does reach Him is the taqwa from you. Thus, He has subjected them to you, so that you may magnify Allah for guiding you  and give glad tidings to those who do good." [22:37]

The Arabic verb يَنَالُ (yanālu means reaches, attains, arrives at). What reaches Allah is تَقْوَى (taqwā) what we carry internally unseen by others but clearly visible to Allah. Qurbani directs us to our state of God-consciousness. As we are reminded in another chapter of the Quran the best of us are those who are the most God-conscious. Qurbani with this verse take on another dimension. The animal is the vehicle; the heart is the destination.

Feeding People is Built into the Command

لِيَشْهَدُوا۟ مَنَـٰفِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْبَآئِسَ ٱلْفَقِيرَ

"So that they may witness benefits for themselves, and invoke the name of Allah on appointed days over the livestock He has provided them, then eat from them and feed the one in severe hardship and poverty." 22:28

ٱلْبَآئِسَ ٱلْفَقِير is  the "one in severe hardship and poverty." The feeding of the poor is embedded directly into the Quranic description of what the sacrifice is for. Qurbani is social obligation alleviate hunger and poverty.  



Finally, What the Prophet Did

In Sahih al-Bukhari narrated by Ibn ʿUmar: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to slaughter and sacrifice at the musalla (place of prayer)." He made it a communal act of worship, not a private one.

Anas ibn Malik is reported to say "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to sacrifice two rams, and I also sacrifice two rams." 

Moment of Sacrifice the made the following Dua

One narration captures the inner meaning of the act in the words spoken over the animal:

In Sahih Ibn Khuzayma, narrated by Jabir ibn ʿAbdullah: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) slaughtered two rams on the day of Eid, and when he turned them toward the qibla he said: "I have turned my face sincerely toward the One who originated the heavens and the earth and I am not of those who associate partners. Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, Lord of all worlds no partner has He. Thus I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest O Allah, from You and to You, on behalf of Muhammad and his ummah." The dua is directly from the Quran Surah Al-Anʿam (6:162-163). The slaughter becomes, in the Prophet's own mouth, a declaration of tawhid, a total surrender of life and death to Allah.

The Eternal Legacy

"And We preserved his legacy among those who came after. Peace be upon Ibrahim."37:108-109. Qurbani is a divine sustained institution. Taraknā means "We left it, We bequeathed it." Allah willed that Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail’s act of Qurbani will be alive in every generation. When a Muslim performs Qurbani, they are participating in something Allah specifically chose to preserve across time.  May Allah Accept our Collective Sacrifice.