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Significance of Sacrifice

by Kazi Aulad Hossain
**"It is not meat nor their blood, that reaches God: It is your piety that reaches Him." Almighty Allah is not at all interested in the meat or blood of a robust, healthy and unblemished sacrificial animal on the day of Eid-ul-Azha, instead, he wants from His "bandas" (servants) piety. And piety, as we all know, means dutifulness.**
THERE was a custom in primitive societies (and it Is not unlikely that the custom is still in vogue in some parts of Africa and Asia) that people used to sacrifice animals to propitiate their respective deities. They were eager to please their gods through such sacrifice of animals. Islam is a scientific religion and does not sanction such obnoxious practices. Benign Allah who is free from all wants does not want His slaves ("bandas") to slaughter robust healthy animals to propitiate or please Him on certain occasion. On the contrary. He wants the rich and the well-to-do persons to please the less fortunate among us. He wants the haves to bring smile on the faces of the have-nots. And this is the teaching of Eid-ul-Azha one of the two greatest festivals celebrated by the Muslims all over the world during the lunar month of Zil-hadj. So. there is basic difference between our way of thinking vis-a-vis sacrifice of suitable animals on the day of Eid-ul-Azha and that of the people referred to above.
Now, a few words about the genesis of Eid-ul-Azha and some facts connected with its celebration every' year. One of the few greatest Prophets sent down to this mundane world of ours by the Lord Creator Allah Rabbul Alameen for the guid-
ance of mankind from time to time was Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (As). He Is also known as Ibrahim Khalllullah. meaning Ibrahim the Felend of Allah. It was Almighty Allah's unique plan that mankind should learn a lesson through the institution of Eid-ul-Azha. through an inimitable example to be left behind by Hazrat Ibrahim so that posterity would draw Inspiration from it and for achievement of piety ("Taqua") mid also for the benefit of the mankind as a whole. One day Benign Allah asked his servant Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (As) to sacrifice his dearest thing in the name of his Creator. Almighty Allah. And the moment it appealed to him that the dearest thing was his own beloved son Hazrat Ismail (A s), and It was his Creator s desire that this beloved son should be sacrificed, he decided to do so without delay, gladly and unhesitatingly. The young son too came forward to give his life in deference to Allan's desire. It was an acid test for Hazrat Ibrahim (A.s) and we are aware that he came out of this test with flying colours; the beloved son Hazrat Ismail (A.s) was sacrificed in the name of Allah but he did not actually die. Allah saved him. Instead, an animal (ram) was sacrificed in place of Hazrat Ismail ((A.s).
The Incident took place many centuries before the advent of Islam some 1400 years ago. Our great Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be on him) introduced the practice of sacrificing suitable animals on the sacred day of Eld-ul-Azha during the lunar month of Zilhadj every' year In commemoration of the supreme sacrifice made by Hazrat Ibrahim(A.s). So. Muslims all over the world started sacrificing suitable animals in the name of Almighty Allah on a fixed day during (he aforesaid month every year after offering two "rakats" of congregational prayers in the morning either in the local mosques or in open spaces. But Almighty Allah has cautioned the Muslims to be careful about such ceremonial sacrifice of animals in His name only without appreciating the real meaning and significance of sacrifice.
In this context we may now refer to Ayat (Verse) 37 of Sura HadJ of the Holy Quran In which Benign Allah in clear and unambiguous terms declares: "It is not meat nor their blood, that reaches God: It is your piety that reaches Him."
So, it is as clear as daylight that Almighty Allah is not at all interested in the meat or blood of a robust, healthy and unblemished sacrificial animal on the day of Eid-ul-Azha. in-
stead. he wants from His "bandas" (servants) piety. And piety, as we all know, means dutifulness. One must be dutiful towards his own self, to his family. to the society he lives in and, last but not the least, to his state of which he is a citizen. Ceremonial sacrifice of a suitable animal is symbolic. It reminds us for doing some thing great, something noble and some thing which brings smile on the faces of the indigent and helpless people of our strife-stricken society. Eld-ul-Azha reminds the haves that they owe a duty to the have-nots. If a billionaire does not spend a considerable amount of his fat bank balance for the cause of suffering humanity. Almighty Allah will take him to task in the Hereafter.
Eid-ul-Azha should not only be an occasion for preparing various kinds of delicious dishes of meat. It is surely an accession to examine one's self whether he has been able to achieve "Taqua" or piety as enjoined by Allah in the said Ayat of the Holy Quran. Not only a billionaire or a tycoon should appreciate the inner meaning and significance of sacrifice of animals on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha but all well-to-do and eligible persons should also appreciate the significance of "Sacrifice".