THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SACRIFICE — Meaningful Deed

THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SACRIFICE T HE sacrifi ce of an animal on the occasion of Eid ul-Azha every year has a great bearing on human life. It symbolizes the moulding and making of a pure life. Today, however, this sacrifi ce has become an annual ritual. It remains alive only as a soulless religious tradition, as something to be done as a ritual on a particular day. It seems to have no impact whatsoever on people’s lives. However, if the sacrifi ce were done in its true spirit, our entire society would have been very diff erent. Referring to the sacrifi ce, the Quran says: Their fl esh and blood do not reach God: it is your piety that reaches Him. THE QURAN 22: 37 Flesh and blood are present in the bodies of the animals that are slaughtered, while piety should be present in the heart of the person who slaughters them. From the above-mentioned Quranic verse it is clear that while it appears the animals are being presented before God, in reality it is human beings who are presenting themselves before Him. In other words, the actual sacrifi ce is not the slaughter of an animal, but, instead, the slaughter of one’s self. Today, sacrifice has become an annual ritual. It remains alive only as a soulless religious tradition. Sacrifi ce, understood in this way, is more about the one who engages in the act of slaughter rather than the being that is slaughtered. On the face of it, this slaughter seems an external or outwardly act. But, in actual fact, it is — or should be — an inner action. That person’s sacrifi ce alone is proper who converts his outwardly act of slaughter into an inwardly one. By slaughtering an animal, we express our determination to slaughter our egos for the sake of God, to sacrifi ce our own personal interests and be fi rmly established in the path of righteousness, to ignore all personal interests whilst obeying God’s commandments. In this way,