Sacrifice – the true meaning in Islam

Sacrifice – the true meaning in Islam

On October 16th Muslims in USA will be celebrating Eid-ul-Adha also known as the greater Eid which is a major Islamic holiday celebrated by the Muslims all over the world in remembrance of the great sacrifice made by the prophet Abraham and his son Ismail thousands of years ago. This sacrifice made by Abraham is not just in the Islamic system of belief. Bible also recognized this event, but instead of Ismael it associates this sacrifice with Isaac. Regardless of the names the most important thing to consider in relation with this event is the conviction of the Abraham and his son towards God and His wishes. What does that sacrifice actually mean and why is it so important in Islam and for all the human kind?

As we know that what Abraham thought of the revelation regarding the sacrifice of his son was not what God had in mind. Both the Qur’an and the Bible narrate that when Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son, God told him to stop and instead a ram was produced for the sacrifice. God wanted Abraham and his son to sacrifice their lives in the cause of their faith. The same consideration is applied when Islam celebrates that event to demonstrate the stature of prophet Abraham and encourages Muslims not just to commemorate the event, but most importantly to follow Abraham’s example.

Sacrifice is the fundamental theme of this celebration.  Muslims are urged to sacrifice their time, worldly desires, relationships, and even one’s self for the sake of the God and His wishes. Such acts are in perfect accordance to the meaning of the word Islam – complete surrender. The purpose of this celebration has the very essence of being Muslim. To revive one’s faith and to understand the true meaning of one’s existence, that is, to reach God the ultimate truth of this universe, are the real meaning of the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha

To appreciate the true gist of the Abraham’s sacrifice we need to understand the purpose of our existence. We need to get a sense of reality not just as Muslims, Christians or Jews, but also as individuals that we are not alone in this world. We are a part of a huge community, which is getting globalized day by day. We may have a hard time finding the source and purpose of our existence, but there must be one. We just need to look inside ourselves, isn’t human life the miracle of all time. We need to self-reflect and marvel at the human life itself.  Eid-ul-Adha, though a Muslim holiday, propagates the message of peace and unity not just among the Muslims, but it is a message for people all over the world.