Qurban

Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim

Al-Saffat 37:99-107

وَقَالَ إِنِّى ذَاهِبٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِين رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ فَبَشَّرْنَـٰهُ بِغُلَـٰمٍ حَلِيمٍۢ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ وَنَـٰدَيْنَـٰهُ أَن يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ ٱلرُّءْيَآ ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْبَلَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْمُبِينُ وَفَدَيْنَـٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍۢإِنَّ

He (Ibrahim) said: "I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me! O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (one)! So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forebear. Then, when he reached (the age of) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" He said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills, one practising Patience and Constancy!" So when they had both submitted their wills, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead, We called out to him "O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial- And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.

Every year, this story is commemorated by Muslims at Eid al-Adha (Qurbon hayiti, Zaisheng jie, Tabaski etc.) all over the world.

Nabi Ibrahim (as) (Abraham) was chosen by Allah to convey a special barakah (blessing) not only to the great nations, which were to come from him, but to all of humankind.

Tawrat, Genesis 12:2.3

I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.

A similar promise is given in the Qur’an

Al-Baqara 2:124

إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًۭا ۖ

Lo: I have appointed thee a leader for mankind.

Eid al-Adha is observed in memory of the sacrifice which Ibrahim (as) offered in response to a vision from Allah. Al-Jabbar (the Compeller) put the prophet to an unimaginably difficult test, when he asked him to sacrifice his son. The story in surah al-Baqarah ends with these words:

Al-Safat 37:106.107

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْبَلَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْمُبِينُ وَفَدَيْنَـٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍۢ

For this was obviously a trial - And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.

What was this great or momentous sacrifice? The Qur’an does not give us an answer. The following ayahs don’t talk about it. They go on to say this:

Al-Safat 37:108-113

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَبَشَّرْنَـٰهُ بِإِسْحَـٰقَ نَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ

وَ بَـٰرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَىٰٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ ۚٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

…and left upon him for later ages: “Peace be upon Ibrahim.” Thus we reward those who do good. He is one of our believing servants. And we gave him good news of Ishaq’s prophethood and righteousness, and we blessed him and Ishaq.

This is the end of the Qur’anic record of the story of the great sacrifice.

Have you ever asked yourself (or perhaps your grandfather, mother, or teacher): Why do Muslim all over the world kill a ram for the festival? Why do people go to such a length; not only in the villages, but even in big cities like Cairo, Mumbai or Istanbul, where the animals have to be delivered by their hundreds of thousands? Why don’t the people living there just buy mutton, like they do for the rest of the year? Why do we always sacrifice a lamb to celebrate Eid al-Adha?

The answer cannot be found in the Qur’an, but don’t worry. Allah didn’t leave us doubting.

Below is the story of Prophet Ibrahim and the great sacrifice as it has been written in the Tawrat for more than three millennia. Just one little note before you start reading. You may be surprised that the son, chosen to be sacrificed, is Ishaq (Isaac). If you are in doubt about the authenticity of this story, the simplest thing you can do is to go back to the story in the Qur’an. Which son does the Qur’an talk about? You will see that both holy books speak about the same boy. If you still think that there is a contradiction, examine yourself: Why do I think so? Is it because of what Allah said, because of what the Qur’an teaches, or is it only because of what people told me I should believe?

Well, here is the full story of Eid al-Adha.

Tawrat, Genesis 22: 1-14

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him,“Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the [a]lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [b]lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb fora burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham,Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Do you see now where the whole idea of the festive ram originates from? There is no need for the Qur’an to retell every detail of the story of nabi Ibrahim (as) or the stories of many other prophets. The Qur’an clearly and repeatedly says that the purpose of its revelation was to confirm the holy books which Allah revealed before it.

Ali Imran 3:3.4

He has revealed to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel previously, as a guide for people, and revealed the Decisive Authority. Surely those who reject Allah’s revelations will suffer a severe torment. For Allah is Almighty, capable of punishment.

As we stated above, the Qur’an closes the story remember at Eid al-Adha with these words:

وَفَدَيْنَـٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍۢ

Wa fadainaahu bizibhin ‘azeem

And we ransomed him with a great sacrifice

Most Muslim commentators say that this “great sacrifice” refers to the ram that was provided by God to be sacrificed in place of Ibrahim’s son. Yes, it does. But does it end there? Think about it. Would a ram be a truly great sacrifice in comparison to the value of Ibrahim’s precious son? Is it not common for Muslim families, at least in rural areas, to kill a sheep or a lamb? Even if you live in a city and buy meat from a local butcher or in a supermarket, do you consider mutton to be anything extraordinary? A camel, perhaps, but why would someone, let alone a wealthy nomad like Ibrahim (as) refer to killing a lamb as a “great sacrifice”? In fact, referring this way even to the camel would be a bit of an exaggeration. The word عَظِيمٍۢ (‘aẓeem) translates into English variably as: great, tremendous, momentous, feat, mighty, magnificent, fantastic, or gigantic.

A ram? No way.

“The great sacrifice” must refer to yet another, far more significant ذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍۢ.

In the Injil we read that Isa Al-Masih (may His peace be with us), is the one who has been made the sacrifice and ransom for the whole world. Prophet Yahya said about Him: “Look! This is the lamb that is from Allah. By his sacrifice, Allah will ransom all people from their sins!” (Injil, John 1:29). Yahya gave Jesus this title to emphasize His role, destined for Him by Allah since well before the time of Ibrahim (as). Isa Al-Masih (may His peace be with us) himself, answering the Jews, said “Ibrahim your father rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was happy.” (Injil, John 8.56). Prophet Ibrahim (as) looked forward to the coming of Al-Masih to redeem the world as the Great Sacrifice. Isa (may His peace be with us) is the Redeemer, the one who was foreshadowed in the sacrifice provided to Ibrahim (as) to save the life of his beloved son.

Once a year Muslims commemorate the deep, wondrous obedience of Ibrahim (as) to Allah, proven beyond doubt in being willing to sacrifice his son. This son came back down from the mountain with his father, only thanks to “the great sacrifice” offered in his place. Not only at Eid al-Adha, but every day of the year we can rejoice, remembering the deep, magnificent love of Allah for people, shown through Him being willing to spare not even his own Word and Spirit, known to us as Isa Al-Masih.

Injil, Bani Israil (Hebrews) 9:28

Al-Masih offered himself as a sacrifice to bear the sins of many, and he will appear a second time, not to bear sins but to save those who are waiting for him.

To get a better understanding of why Isa al-Masih is the perfect fit to be regarded “The great sacrifice”, read our article Isa is Unique.

We welcome your thoughtful and respectful comments.