Sacrifice and Islam

SACRIFICE AND ISLAM The spirit of sacrifice forms the essence of all Islamic acts and deeds. This occurs when one feels that he is under direct supervision of God. O n the occasion of Hajj and Eid al-Adha, Muslims worldwide perform the ritual of sacrificing an animal in the name of God. This act of sacrifice is not isolated from daily life; rather, it is related to every facet of a person’s existence. It signifies that believers should live in this world embodying the spirit of sacrifice. The spirit of sacrifice forms the essence of all Islamic acts and deeds. The Quran states: “ I created the jinn and mankind only so that they might worship Me” (51:56). This means that the purpose of creating jinn and mankind is solely to worship God. But what does worship truly entail? The Prophet of Islam explained it thus: “Worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 50; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 8) This means that one should worship God with the mindset of perceiving His presence as if one can see Him, and even if one is seeing Him, one should be