Sacrifice and its importance in Eid

Giving up something big for the sake of Allah, such as the life of your child, must seem like a huge and unimaginable sacrifice. Today even going without something small, such as a cup of coffee, to donate the money to charity seems like a large sacrifice.

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Try to imagine  how Ibrahim must have felt as he held the blade above his child’s neck.In the last moment he was relieved of his duty to follow Allah’s commands. 

 Having complete trust in Allah, knowing with certainty that Allah knows and wants what is best for us is often difficult, but it should not be.

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“…And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).  And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine….” (Quran 65:2-3)

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Allah replaced Ishmael with a sheep and it is for this reason that Muslims sacrifice an animal on the celebration of Eid al Adha; however it is more than a celebration, it is a reminder.  We are reminded of our own submission to the will of Allah.  Those Muslim’s who are not making the pilgrimage and who can afford it sacrifice an animal in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s test.

“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you….” (Quran 22:37)

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The act of animal sacrifice is often misunderstood.  Allah has no need for the blood or the meat; in fact Allah has no need for any of our acts of worship.  However for our own benefit Allah commands us to turn to Him and obey Him. 

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 Allah looks for our piety, our goodness and our charity.  The animal sacrificed is usually a sheep, a goat or a cow. 

Distributing the meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha strengthens many of our efforts to please Allah with our piety.  Usually, a portion is eaten by the immediate family and relatives, a portion is given away to friends and neighbours and a portion is donated to the poor.  The act symbolizes our willingness to give up our bounties to strengthen ties of kinship and friendship and our enthusiasm to give up things that are of benefit to us in order to help those who are in need.  In the sacrifice we recognize that all blessings come from Allah.

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