THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SACRIFICE — Meaningful Deed

only when we slaughter the ‘inner animal’ that resides within each one of us. The Quran says: Call mankind to the Pilgrimage […] so that they may witness its benefi t for them and, on the appointed days may utter the name of God over the cattle He has provided for them. Then eat their fl esh, and feed the distressed and the needy […] THE QURAN 22: 27-28 From this verse we learn about two more aspects of sacrifi ce. One is that whenever we use anything given by God we have to take God’s name. Taking the name of God when using something is an acknowledgment that it, along with everything else, is a direct gift from God. God has given human beings countless things to fulfi ll our needs. And so, we must recognize them as gifts from God and use them accordingly, rather than thinking them to be a product of our intelligence or power. By slaughtering an animal, we express our determination to slaughter our egos for the sake of God. When an animal is slaughtered, we are commanded to eat its meat and to share it with others. In this way, this sacrifi ce enkindles in us the spirit of generosity, compassion and mutual help and sharing. It teaches us to share our food with others, to recognize that our food and our earnings are not ours alone to enjoy, but that others, too, have a share in them. It teaches us not to be concerned only with our own aff airs and with solving our own problems, but to also make eff orts to help others solve their problems, too. It teaches us that we cannot live as isolated and unrelated individuals, and that, instead, we need to learn how to live as useful members of society, thereby, becoming a good ‘part of the whole’ of mankind. If we keep these aspects in mind, we can better appreciate that the sacrifi ce is not just a soulless historical tradition but a live act with a message and meaning. The message of sacrifi ce is this: Slaughter the ‘animal’ within you and bring to life the humanness that also resides inside you. This is what sacrifi ce really means. This is the real message of sacrifi ce. o