Adha - the sacrifice

As Salamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah

We all know very well the story of Ibrahim. But what are we to learn out of it ! Lots of lessons.

Here's an extract from mission islam - its worth reading

Ibrahim chose the Love of God over the Love of self, Prophethood over Fatherhood, Loyalty to God over Loyalty to family, Truth over Reality, Consciousness over Instinct, Responsibility over Pleasure, Duty over Right, Tawheed over Shirk. He preferred Advancing to Remaining.

Ibrahim chose God and gave up Ismail.

Brothers and Sisters, in Mina, an amazing and frightening conversation between a father and a son took place.

Ibrahim said to Ismail : "O my Son, I see in a vision that I offer you in sacrifice. Now see what is your view? " (37:102)

What frightening words for a child to hear!

Ismail could have kept silent. He could have asked Ibrahim to refrain.

But Ismail had also faith. He submitted to Allah's will. Realising his father's distress, Ismail gave him these comforting words : "O my father! Do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah so wills, patient and constant " (37:102)

Allah-u-Akbar! Allah-u-Akbar! Allah-u-Akbar!

Ibrahim had consulted his son who willingly offered himself to Allah's command. The choice of Ibrahim was sacrifice. That of Ismail was self-sacrifice : Martyrdom.

This gave Ibrahim strength. Ibrahim tied his heart to God, he took the Ismail of his life in one hand and the knife of his faith in the other and he walked until he reached the place of sacrifice. Ibrahim was suffering while believing and at every moment it was possible for him to retract and turn back. Yet he layed Ismail on the ground, putting his face away from him to give strength to his crushed soul and paralysed hand. And so he slaughtered Ismail. But, by Allah's grace, the knife did not cut.

Ibrahim received a sheep and was called by Allah :

"O Ibrahim! You have confirmed the Vision Thus indeed do We reward those who do right This is indeed the manifest trial!" (37:104-105)

Allah-u-Akbar! Allah-u-Akbar! Allah-u-Akbar!

Brothers and Sisters, Ibrahim gained everything and kept Ismail. This means that the God of Ibrahim is not thirsty for blood like the Inca gods or Hindu godesses were thirsty of blood.

It is the people, the servants of God who are hungry, and hungry of sheep meat.

And, symbolically, the only blood shed in this story is the blood of Iblis.

Brothers and Sisters, this means that from the very beginning God did not want Ismail to be slaughtered. He wanted Ibrahim to be the slaughterer of Ismail. When he became so, the slaughter became useless.

God, from the beginning, wanted Ismail to be the slaughter of God. And when it happened, his sacrifice became useless.

Mankind has needs but God has no needs. He is Self-Sufficient. Allah (ta`ala) in His Wisdom raised Ibrahim to the highest peak of sacrificing his Ismail without sacrificing Ismail. Allah (ta`ala) promoted Ismail to the highest peak of being the great sacrifice of God without bringing any harm to him.

This event is not about the torment and torture of mankind but about the perfection of humanity, the freedom from the prison of instinct and selfishness and about the elevation of spirit.

This momentous event also teaches us, through Ibrahim, that human life, Ismail's, Ibrahim's, everyone's, acquires its meaning and value from God -- The Source of Creation -- and not from nature. It signifies that the good things in life, represented by Ismail, derive their value not from the mere fact that they exist and can be valued, enjoyed and delighted in, but from God, The Source of Creation Himself. Ibrahim was, in some sense, giving back Ismail to receive him again on the proper basis.

Brothers and Sisters, different people organise differently their loyalty to God, to the family and to the nation or the state. A secular mind owes and absolute duty to the nation (and the family) whereas a religious conscience owes absolute duty to God. For a secular mind Ibrahim was willing to MURDER Ismail but for a religious conscience he was willing to SACRIFICE Ismail. Ibrahim therefore instructs that we should owe absolute duty only to God and it is our relationship to God which ought to transcend and determine out relation to family/nation and not vice-versa.

Brothers and Sisters, there still is a lot to understand and discover about this momentus event. These are only a few possible meanings. Only a few, and just possible, because as Ibrahim taught us to be less complacent and more critical about having attained faith, we should be less complacent and more critical about having attained understanding.

Brothers and Sisters, the Ismail of Ibrahim was his son. But you, who is your Ismail? what is it?

Your degree? Your reputation? Your position? Your money? Your home? Your car? Your beloved? Your family? Your knowledge? Your title? Your dress? Your fame? Your soul? Your spirituality? Your Beauty? Your strength? Your career?

How does one know?

Well, you know this yourself. One can only give its signs to you.

Whatever is in your eyes which holds the place of Ismail in the eyes of Ibrahim!

Whatever weakens you on the way of faith!

Whatever stops you in your movement!

Whatever brings doubt to your responsibility!

Whatever has enchained your freedom!

Whatever leads you to compromise and justification!

That very thing which deafens your ears before the Message of Truth!

Whatever calls you to remain with yourself!

Whatever causes you to flee from your duty!

Whoever or Whatever keeps you behind in order to remain with her/him or it !

Brothers and Sisters, these are the signs of our Ismail's. Let us search for them in ourselves and let us slaughter them to move towards Allah (ta'ala) and to remove the real knife from the throat of oppressed Muslims from Bosnia to Kashmir, from somalia to Palestine.

Brothers and Sisters, let us revolt against the heartless worshippers that we have become.

Remember our Eid is not a Eid of victory. It is the Eid of sacrifice (adha).