Qurbani (Sacrifice)

“Their (sacrifices’) meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.” ²⁵
(The Holy Qur’an)

Qurbani in Islam means sacrificing an animal of certain qualifications at a certain time in accordance with certain procedures for worshipping Allah the Exalted. The main goal of qurbani, as in all worships, is to be close to Allah and attain His approval. Therefore, sacrifice is a demonstration of respect and submission by the servants who have taqwa (piety) and are aware of their responsibility towards Allah.

Sacrificing for Allah ^(swt) is a worship made obligatory for all nations since the Prophet Adam. Even today, while sacrificing an animal Muslims remember Abel and Cain, the Prophet Adam’s sons, who were put to a test of sincerity with their sacrifices for Allah. Abel, with his contentedness and obedience to the commandment of Allah ^(swt) in the best manner, passed the test while Cain failed with his stingy manners and jealousy.

Sacrificing an animal also reminds people the sincerity test of the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ishmael. The Prophet Ibrahim, who swore an oath to sacrifice his dear son Ishmael, showed that he can sacrifice even his most valuable thing for Allah, and got rewarded with a ram.

The Prophet Muhammad sacrificed an animal every year until his death. The Prophet Muhammad and his family ate the meat of the sacrifice, they served it to their guests and also shared with the poor.

Although the animals sacrificed during the Eid al-Adha come to mind with the worship of sacrifice, there are various types of sacrifice made on some other times during year as a worship such as nazhr (oath), gratitude, kaffarah (expiation), and aqiqa (birth of a baby). Benefiting from the meats of these sacrifices is under different religious rulings.

The meaning of the worship of sacrifice is summarized by the Prophet Muhammad with the following words: “I have turned my face toward Allah, who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the idolaters. Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds. No partner hath He. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. This sacrifice is for you, the Almighty Allah, and is presented for your consent by Muhammad and his ummah.” ²⁶

The Muslim who sacrifices an animal fulfills this worship in order to obey the command of Allah, to use the blessing given by Allah for Him, and to be purified. They experience the happiness of making a good deed for Allah by protecting themselves from craving of possessions and stinginess. They make happy the people primarily in their close circles, the people in need, the aggrieved, the miserable, and the lonely. Thus, sacrificing an animal keeps the spirit of friendship, cooperation and solidarity in Muslim societies alive, and contributes to the realization of social justice.