THE SENTIMENT AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF QURBANI
The purpose of sacrifice (Qurbani) is to achieve the nearness (qurb) of Allah Ta'ala. Anything that we sacrifice to achieve the nearness of Allah Ta'ala is known as Qurbani.
From time to time we slaughter animals for our own consumption. But it is Qurbani only, when we buy the animal with the intention of sacrificing. The deed (amaal) is the intention.
The generally accepted view of Qurbani is the slaughtering of animals on the occasion of Eid Ul-Adha. This practise has been handed down to us by Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam). Allah Ta'ala commanded Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) to sacrifice his most precious belonging in the path of Allah Ta'ala.
Hazrat Zayd Ibne Arqam(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that the companions(Radi Allaahu Anhu) asked Prophet ﷺ, 'what is udhiyah (Qurbani)?' Prophet ﷺ replied, 'it is the sunnah of your father Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam)'. (Ibne Majah).
Slaughtering an animal from after the Eid Namaaz on 10th of Dhul Hijjah till the sunset of 12th of Dhul Hijjah with the intention of Qurbani is the sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam). These three days are known as ayam e nehr.
Controlling or holding back your self-centred desires against your selfless desires is Qurbani.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Neither their flesh reaches to Allah nor their blood, but your piety reaches Him. Thus, We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that He has gained you. And O beloved! Give glad tiding to the righteous'
(Surah Al-Hajj. verse 37)
From this we learn that if your intention is to convey the reward of the food to some, the actual food will not reach him, only its reward (sawab) will, which is due to the result of one's piety.
All prophets faced trials and tribulations. Hazrat Ibrahim's(alaihis salaam) life was filled with the most severe trials by way of his people and his family. He(alaihis salaam) was a great and a Nobel prophet, as he fulfilled the test that Allah Ta'ala had given him.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And We left a good name for him in all successive generations'
(Surah As-Swaffaat. verse 108)
'And When His Lord tested Ibrahim with certain words, then he fulfilled them. He (Allah) said: 'Surely, I will appoint you the leader for all the people'. He Ibrahim requested: 'And my offspring too?' Allah said, 'My promise does not include the unjust'.'
(Surah Al-Baqara. verse 124)
The word leadership doesn't mean prophethood because he was already blessed with this honour, but the word is used to denote those special attributes conferred upon Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam), like being made a friend of Allah (khalilullah), and prophets coming from his lineage.
Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) faced lots of hardship in form of trials from Allah Ta'ala. Two of which were the sacrifice of a son, and leaving the child and wife in the wilderness without food and water.
Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) became very old and still did not have any children. One day Hazrat Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) supplicated in the court of Allah Ta'ala:
'O my Lord, bestow upon me a righteous son'
(Surah As-Swaffaat. verse 100)
Allah Ta'ala accepted the dua of Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam)
'We gave him good news of a prudent son'
(Surah As-Swaffaat. verse 101)
Glad tidings were given about Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) who would be born from Hazrat Haajra(Radi Allaahu Anha). He would be understanding, tolerant, gentle, and having patient.
Allah Ta'ala granted Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) a very indulgent son, Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam). Following the commands of Allah Ta'ala, Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) left his wife Haajra(Radi Allaahu Anha) and child Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) in the wilderness of Mecca. The land was barren. There was no food and water. This place had to become a centre of sacred worship. This is now the valley of Safa and Marwa.
After helping his wife and child in this barren land, Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) turned around and walked away. Hazrat Haajra(Radi Allaahu Anha) hurried after him asking, 'under whose care are you leaving us here?' Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) replied, 'under the care of Allah Ta'ala' and Hazrat Haajra(Radi Allaahu Anha) let him leave. Before departing, Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) made a very sincere, wholehearted dua in the court of Allah Ta'ala:
'O my Lord, I have caused some of my children to settle in a valley wherein there is no cultivation by your sacred house. O my Lord in order that they might keep up prayer, then you make some peoples hearts incline towards them and give them some fruits for food, so that they may be thankful'
(Surah Ibrahim. verse 37)
At the time when Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) left Hazrat Haajra(Radi Allaahu Anha) and Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) in the valley of Mecca, there were no inhabitants. It was a barren desolate jungle without water or vegetation. It is the dua of Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam), which beautified and brought life into this lifeless place. Thus, Allah Ta'ala filled the jungle of Taif and the valley of Fatimah with fruits from which the markets of Mecca are always full with different types of fruits. The fruit one gets there are difficult to find elsewhere.
Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) also mentioned 'by your sacred house'. At this time, the Kabah was not constructed. Hence, the proof of the 'knowledge of the unseen' of the prophets.
On the command of Allah Ta'ala, Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) willed to sacrifice his only son Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) as a sign of obedience to Allah Ta'ala.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Then when he became able to work with him, he said: 'O my son, I have seen a dream that I am sacrificing you. Now look, what is your opinion?' He replied: 'O my father, do as you are commanded, Allah willing, you will find me steadfastly firm'.'
(Surah As-Swaffaat. verse 102)
The Qurbani of slaughtering animals on the occasion of Eid Ul-Adha symbolizes the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) to slaughter his son Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) at the command of Allah Ta'ala. Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran that Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) is His intimate friend (Khalil):
'And who is better in religion than who submits his face to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Ibrahim who was separate from every falsehood. And Allah took Ibrahim for his intimate friend'
(Surah An-Nisa. verse 125)
Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) achieved the nearness of Allah Ta'ala by jumping into the fire of Namrood, by sacrificing all his worldly wealth in the path of Allah Ta'ala, and by willing to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam).
Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) experienced a dream one night to do a sacrifice. So, the next day, he(alaihis salaam) slaughtered one hundred goats as a sacrifice. The following night, the same dream occurred again commanding him to do a sacrifice. So, the next day, he sacrificed one hundred camel. The third night the same command came again in his dream. Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) could not make out what he was asked to sacrifice. Then the command came for him to sacrifice his only son Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam). He told his son Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) about his dream and what Allah Ta'ala had commanded him to do. Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) replied, 'O my father, do as you are commanded, Allah willing, you will find me steadfastly firm'.
(Surah As-Swaffaat. verse 102)
Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) with a knife in his hands did as Allah Ta'ala had commanded him to do. But Allah Ta'ala commanded Hazrat Jibreel(alaihis salaam) to immediately take a ram from the Paradise and put it in place of Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam).
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Most certainly, you have fulfilled your dream. Thus do We reward the righteous'
(Surah As-Swaffaat. verse 105)
The ram got slaughtered and Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) was completely unharmed standing next to Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam).
Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) and Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) had just passed a very difficult test from Allah Ta'ala.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Please declare: 'Surely, My Lord has shown me the straight path, a true religion, the creed of Ibrahim, who was aloof from every falsehood, and he was not a polytheist'
(Surah An'aam. verse 161)
Allah Ta'ala is revealing to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to declare:
'My Namaaz, my sacrifice (Qurbani), my life, my death is all for Allah Ta'ala. My sacrifice is the sacrifice of Khalilullah, and the sacrifice of Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) is my sacrifice. And the sacrifice of Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) is for Allah Ta'ala.
If Hazrat Ismail(alaihis salaam) was sacrificed, then we would also have been sacrificing our sons. A son was sacrificed by the sacrifice of a son of Prophet ﷺ in Karbala.
Qurbani is a sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam).
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This article is an abridged English translation of Urdu sermons delivered by his eminence, Peer Syed Imroz Dean Saifi, Hanfi, Maturidi of Masjid Anwaar e Madina, Surrey BC Canada
If there is an inaccurate translation, please pardon it and not let it be a means to negatively reflect on the honoured presenter.
