Islam and reality of sacrifice

Islam basically means reverence, obedience, commitment and surrendering, which is against pride, waywardness, self adornment, etc. The principles of Islam teach that a bondsman should always go against sensuality and should forego all desires and try to achieve the pleasure and approval of Allah Most High through obedience and
reverence. Sacrificing one’s views and ideas before the commands and instructions of Allah Most High, foregoing arrogance, bidding good bye to pride and egotism and following the commands of Allah Most High is the essence and reality of sacrifice.

Unless and until a bondsman uses his/her authority and power, thoughts and ideas, body and spirit, wealth and empire, hours and seconds and everything else with the primary intention of obtaining the closeness of Allah Most High, he or she is not a (perfect) Muslim. The one who is rebellious and does not have obedience and reverence will never taste the sweetness of Iman.


The sacrifices of Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail (May peace be upon them)

The lives of the Prophets (May peace be upon all of them), the devoted Companions, the unblemished and pure Ahle Bait (the family of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)) and the noble saints are the true examples of sacrifice. The days they led and the nights they spent are themselves testifying to their sacrifice.

It was nothing other than the sacrifice when Hadhrat Ibrahim (May peace be upon him) left his beloved wife Hadhrat Hajira (May peace be upon her) and his son Hadhrat Ismail (May peace be upon him) on the order of Allah Most High in a place where there was neither food nor shelter and not even a single living being.

When Hadhrat Ismail (May peace be upon him) attained the age of 13, Hadhrat Ibrahim (May peace be upon him) bid goodbye to his paternal love and readied himself to slaughter his own son on the command of Allah Most High.

Hadhrat Ismail (May peace be upon him) also offered his own head with astonishing eagerness and got ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Lord Almighty.

It was sacrifice when a great fire was prepared and Hadhrat Ibrahim (May peace be upon him) was put in it by Nimrod and the blazing fire and sky-high flames did not deter him.

The sacrifices of the Companions and the Ahle Bait

It was sacrifice when the Companions left their money and wealth and relinquished their relationship with their relatives and emigrated to Madina. They spent their days and nights in the range of arrows and shade of swords in various battles like Badr, Hunain, etc. It was this sacrifice that the four Successors of Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) offered their lives to Allah Most High during their periods of caliphate.

It was sacrifice when the beloved and noble grandsons of Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with them) along with their family members offered their lives to Allah Most High on the battlefield of Karbala. Hence, each epoch and each age of Islamic history is replete with sacrifice, from its very beginning till today.

The message of sacrifice is present in the Islamic principles, worship and daily affairs, etc. In Salaat, fasting, Zakaat and Haj, a bondsman ignores his/her own ideas and adopts the instructions of Allah Most High. Similarly, in marriage and divorce, trade and commerce, he/she overlooks desires and follows the rules given by Allah Most High.


Now we know that obedience, reverence, Islamic faith and sacrifice are all interrelated to each other. In spite of the spirit of sacrifice being found in all rules of Islam, Allah Most High has especially commanded us to sacrifice an animal once in a year, so that the spirit of sacrifice embedded in the other rules and the purpose of the Islamic Law should be manifested visibly as well and to revive the spirit of sacrifice if it is waning in any Muslim and to traverse other milestones of perfection for whom this spirit is intact.