Molvi Muhammad Sanaullah The month of Eid al-Adha arrives with preparations for sacrifice already underway, goat markets are set up, animals are bought, some people buy strong and healthy animals with sincerity, while others, in an attempt to keep up and to be prominent in society, also make purchases. Sacrifice is not preferred for weak animals, and if such a weak animal is unable to reach the slaughterhouse, the sacrifice is questioned; therefore, one should sacrifice strong animals according to their capabilities. The certainty of being useful on the Day of Judgment also requires this. Although God will make the animal for sacrifice strong, this strength will not come from flesh, stature, and price, but from sincerity and piety. At that time, strength will come to the animals based on sincerity and piety. God has clearly stated in the Holy Quran that neither the meat nor the blood of the animal reaches God, but piety reaches Him. Sacrifice is the name of piety, sincerity, being for the sake of God, and being away from pretence and the desire for servitude and self-surrender to God. Before the sacrifice, the verses that are recited, if we ponder over their meanings, it will be known that this expression of self-surrender is also done in words, and the servant says, "I have turned my face towards the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and I am not a polytheist." These verses are not recited as a ritual during the sacrifice, but are recited so that one is fully aware of God's oneness and creation, and to give strength to one's faith, another verse is recited: "Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds." This means that my prayers, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for God, the Sustainer of all the worlds. Here, prayer and sacrifice are not just two words, but rather a sign of physical and financial worship. The idea is also supported by the words "life" and "death", which indicate that all aspects of life, social interactions, and all matters should be conducted in accordance with the method prescribed by the Shariah. When sacrificing, the recitation of these verses is not just for the sake of reward, but is a renewal of the promise and covenant that the servant made in "the covenant of Alastu" and which is being forgotten day by day, and the feeling of sincerity and being for the sake of God is being lost. All actions are being performed for show, and in the sacrifice as well, there is more competition than sincerity. This competition and show should be completely eliminated, and the final blow to it is struck when, while slaughtering the animal, one says "Bismillah Allahu Akbar" (In the name of God, God is great), and it is announced that the sacrifice is being performed in the name of God. In our society, a wrong phrase has become common, which is said before or during the sacrifice, "This sacrifice will be in the name of so-and-so." God forbid! The sacrifice should be in the name of God alone. The correct phrase should be "on whose behalf" the sacrifice is being performed. When the knife is placed on the animal's throat, and the blood flows, and the animal gives up its life, your sacrifice, according to your sincerity, has reached God, and the real reward will be given there, and it will be given according to your sincerity. Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi wrote that after the slaughter, before taking the animal's skin to be tanned, one should look at the animal carefully. Although this is not a Shari'ah ruling, look at the animal, its eyes are open, its life has departed, but its eyes are fixed on you, questioning you, "Sir! I gave my life as a sacrifice on your behalf, but have you also prepared yourself to sacrifice your selfish desires for the sake of God?" Have you thought about giving your wealth and life in the way of God? Have you felt the urge to spend your beloved children and your favourite things? If this is the case, then my sacrifice has not gone in vain, and you will be among those who receive goodness and blessings. But if you still have so much love for wealth in your heart that you are accumulating it without distinguishing between halal and haram, and you are not willing to spend your children for the sake of religion and preaching, and you think that if you go to pray in congregation, your customers will leave, and you will suffer economic losses, and you are still indulging in sins, and you do not feel the urge to do good, then understand that my sacrifice has been in vain, and you have not benefited at all. Now there is still an opportunity, recite the prayer of sacrifice and pray to God to accept this sacrifice, just as He accepted the sacrifices of Hazrat Ibrahim and His Prophet (peace be upon him), and grant it the same status that He granted to the sacrifices of the Prophets. Although only the person performing the sacrifice recites the prayer, the purpose of participating in the entire process of sacrifice is to be consciously involved, and it is recommended that one should slaughter the animal themselves, and if not possible, they should stand nearby and witness the sacrifice, so that they can see and feel that this is not just about slaughtering an animal, but about sacrificing everything for the sake of God, including wealth, life, and children. Think and think again, perform the sacrifice with awareness, and let everything be sacrificed for the sake of God, along with the animal. Has this happened or not? The first test of this begins with the meat of the sacrifice. Have you allocated a portion of it for your loved ones, friends, and acquaintances? Have you set aside a portion for the poor and the troubled people in society? Or do you have a large family, and the meat is not enough even for the household, so you keep it all to yourself? You can certainly do this, and it is also permissible according to the Shari'ah, but by doing so, you have openly expressed your lack of feeling for sacrifice for the sake of society. Have you given the price of the animal's skin to the poor and the orphans without selling it, and made a prayer mat for yourself? If you have done so, it will be known that you do not have the habit of giving in the way of God. You have performed the sacrifice on your own behalf, but your wife is also a sahib-e-nisab (possesses the minimum amount of wealth required for zakat), and your daughter-in-law is also sitting with gold and silver jewelry worth more than the nisab. Your son has also accumulated wealth and assets worth more than the nisab. The sacrifice has been missed on their behalf, and you are performing the sacrifice on behalf of the dead. First, perform the sacrifice on behalf of those for whom it is obligatory. In the days of sacrifice, no act is more pleasing to God than the sacrifice itself. Therefore, perform the sacrifice on behalf of all those for whom it is obligatory, so that their selfish desires may be truly sacrificed for the sake of God. This is the message of Eid al-Adha, and this is what is desired of a believer. We should also remember that originally, the sacrifice was a sacrifice of life, but God, out of His mercy, replaced it with the sacrifice of an animal, and we were not required to give our lives. Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had made all the preparations to sacrifice his son, but God replaced it with the "great sacrifice". That is why the Prophet of God (peace be upon him) said that the sacrifice is the Sunnah of your father Ibrahim, who named you Muslims. God has placed a reward for every hair of the sacrificed animal, which means that it is a matter of pure goodness, and the only condition is sincerity of intention and seeking closeness to God. That is why it is also permissible to participate in the sacrifice of an animal for 'Aqiqah, and there is room for it in the Shari'ah.
