What does sacrifice teach us?

The Dhaka Times Desk Qurbani When Eid comes, there are many questions about Qurbani. We may know a lot about sacrifice. But there are still many unknowns.

Everyone has different answers about sacrifice. Some say, sacrifice teaches to cultivate a spirit of sacrifice. Some people say that it is the teaching of sacrificing one's own animal. But many of us do not really understand the teaching of sacrifice. Or don't even try to understand better.

What does the history of sacrifice actually say?

What did Allah really want from Abraham? Did God want the life of his son Ishmael? Certainly not. In the same way that we sacrifice cows and goats, Allah did not want the lives of these animals from us.

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So what does the great Rabbul Alamin want from us? When Ibrahim told his son Ishmael, about God's will, Ishmael replied - 'O my honorable father! Do what you are commanded to do without hesitation. InshaAllah - you will find me among the patient.'

In other words, the true meaning of sacrifice is hidden in this answer of Islam. Allah asked Abraham to prove his fear of God. He wanted to see if he would be willing to sacrifice his beloved son for the sake of Allah alone. And he asked Ishmael to see if he was ready to devote his life to Allah alone.

In fact, through sacrifice, we make a promise to Allah that - 'O my Lord! Just as I sacrificed the life of your creation for you only for your satisfaction, in the same way I will never hesitate to sacrifice my life for you, just like Ishmael (as) did not hesitate.'

This is exactly what Rabbul Alamin wants from us. He always wants His beloved creatures to live and die only for Him. Like a sacrificial animal, one would be ready to shed one's own blood for God's sake—indeed, this is the teaching of sacrifice.

Think about it. The most dear thing to every man is his own life. One who is ready to devote his life to the path of Allah, every moment of his life must be dedicated to Allah. But are we ever really doing that? We all make sacrifices, but have we ever acquired the mindset of sacrificing everything for God? If not, will the real meaning of the sacrifice be implemented?

The main reason is that the great Rabbul Alamin has told us to sacrifice only for the sake of Allah. After sacrifice, the meat of cow or goat is not required to be given to Allah. We will eat the meat. So why don't we make sacrifices with honestly earned money?

A sacrifice has come between us. Now these things must be realized: Convince yourself that the sacrifice should be made only for the pleasure of Allah. If not, we will get fat by eating beef, but we will not get any merit of the sacrifice. So let us understand the real meaning of sacrifice, understand what the sacrifice teaches and implement it. Let us keep the true teaching of sacrifice in our hearts for the rest of our lives.

References: 73quranclass.wordpress.com