Bilal Ahmad Khanday
Every year on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha is celebrated across the Muslim world to commemorate the unparalleled example of faith and obedience shown by Prophet Ibrahim (AS), who was willing to sacrifice his son in submission to the command of Allah.
As Ibrahim (AS) was about to place the knife on his son’s throat, Allah commanded him not to sacrifice his son. Instead, a ram from the heavens was provided as a symbol of submission, faith, and obedience. This sacred event is commemorated by Muslims throughout the world on Eid al-Adha.
But the question remains: Does Allah need the sacrifice of animals, or does He seek something greater from us?
The meat of the sacrificed animal is traditionally divided into three parts — one for the family, one for relatives and neighbours, and one for the poor and destitute. This is the outward, or exoteric, aspect of sacrifice: sharing food and caring for society.
However, the deeper and more important aspect lies in its spiritual meaning, which the Holy Quran mentions in Surah Al-Hajj:
«“Neither their meat nor their blood reaches Allah. It is your piety that reaches Him.”
(Al-Quran 22:37)»
It is our piety that truly matters. The spiritual is far more important than the material. Unfortunately, we often ignore the essence and focus only on the ritual. We give preference to the secondary while neglecting the primary purpose.
We must remember that Allah’s command to Ibrahim (AS) was not about the material sacrifice of his beloved son. Rather, it was a test of faith, submission, sincerity, and complete surrender before the Divine command.
Today, many of us perform the ritual but forget its true essence. When we sacrifice an animal, we are also expected to sacrifice our animalistic tendencies — arrogance, pride, cruelty, greed, hatred, jealousy, and ego.
When these vices disappear, virtues such as humility, kindness, generosity, compassion, altruism, and love naturally emerge. In simple words, when negativity fades away, positivity is born.
Therefore, before buying sacrificial animals, we must first examine our own thoughts, behaviour, and character. We should prepare ourselves to sacrifice our inner evils and selfish desires.
Before sharpening our knives, we must sharpen our hearts. Otherwise, the knives may become sharp while our hearts remain blunt.
Even if we sacrifice animals without understanding the true essence of sacrifice — the sacrifice of ego, pride, vanity, and other vices — then the act risks becoming merely a ritual devoid of spiritual transformation. Before Allah, neither wealth nor blood is counted; what truly matters is submission, obedience, and faith.
The tragedy of the Muslim world today is that we remain occupied with the outward ritual while neglecting the inward transformation it demands.
In short, the real sacrifice is not merely of an animal, but of the self.
