By: Samsul Nizar
Professor and Head of STAIN Bengkalis
The commandment to perform sacrifices is unique to the month of Dhu al-Hijjah (Hajj month). This activity illustrates the subjugation of Prophet Ibrahim AS and the submission of Prophet Ismail AS. Submission and obedience intended solely for Allah’s sake are substituted with the sacrifice of a Kibas (sheep) upon His Rahman and Rahim. The command to sacrifice is evident in Allah’s words: “Indeed, We have granted you (Muhammad) any favours. So establish supplication and sacrifice for your Lord. Indeed, those who detest you will be cut off (from Allah’s mercy)” (QS. al-Kautsar: 1-3).
The Jalalain interpretation of the verse above states, “Indeed, Allah has bestowed so many blessings upon the prophet Muhammad SAW and his people. Among them, Allah granted the Prophet Muhammad SAW al-Kautsar in the guise of a river (lake) in heaven. Later, it will provide his people with potable water. Al-Kautsar also represents a great deal of benefits for his people and the entire world in the form of the Prophet’s prophethood, the Qur’an, intercession, and other privileges. As a form of privilege accorded to the Prophet that affects his people, Allah bestows a multitude of favours on Muhammad’s followers. However, there are still humans who despise the Prophet’s teachings. This attitude is explained in Jalalain’s interpretation, which states, “They will be led to hatred of the Prophet and his followers (who always carry the Prophet’s teachings).” Allah has promised that those who despise the truth will be cut off from all virtue or their descendants will be eliminated. This verse was revealed in reference to those who despised the Prophet of Allah and the veracity of his message. When the Prophet Muhammad left behind his son named Qasim. Then ‘Ash bin Wail referred to the Prophet of Allah as abtar, or “the one who cut off his descendants.” The genuine target of the abtar is ‘Ash bin Wail (and his followers).
Despite the many bounties He has bestowed, Allah only requires the Prophet’s people to express gratitude in two ways:
First, establish the vertical dimension through prayer. The meaning of establishing is not limited to an act of Sharia supplication. Success in instituting prayer is exemplified by the personality and conduct of the former servant who prayed (min atsar as-sujud). This is evident from the level of exemplification the Prophet displayed throughout his existence. Allah declares, “Muhammad is His messenger, and those who are with him are harsh on unbelievers but merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating themselves to seek Allah’s blessing and delight. They have marks of prostration on their features. Such are their attributes (revealed) in the Torah and their attributes (revealed) in the Gospel, that they are like a seed that sends forth its shoot, then the shoot grows strong and becomes great and stands upright on its stem; the plant pleases the hearts of its planters because Allah wishes to vex the hearts of the unbelievers (through the strength of the believers). “Allah promises forgiveness and a great reward to those who believe and do good among them” (Al-Fath: 29).
According to Tafsir Jalalain, “the meaning of min atsar as-sujud (the sign of prostration) is not a sign of zahir or physical (only), but refers to the character of the Prophet Muhammad.” They will receive pardon for their transgressions, copious rewards, and noble sustenance. Allah’s promise is certain and reliable. He will neither break His promise nor supplant it.
Establishing prayer is more about embodying the entirety of the series of liturgies, from intention to salam. All of the attendants who establish the prayer are broadcast following the prayer. This emanation enables the self’s spirit to meet Muhammad’s spirit and recognize Allah’s spirit. If the quality of “establishing prayer” can be attained, he will discover the essence and delicacy of prayer as a channel for the servant’s yearning and communication with His Creator.
Second, the horizontal dimension is a sacrifice for others (in the name of Allah). In this context, Qurbani serves as a vehicle for fostering social religiosity across racial lines. It does not distinguish between the wealthy and the impoverished, status or degree, tribe and custom, or religion. Everyone is obligated on the basis of humanity (social piety). This is the social dimension of Islam, which respects religious diversity. The distributed Qurbani meat covered all surfaces of the organ.
Everybody can sense it. There is no privilege. Everyone shares the same social consciousness. The flesh consumed should be able to penetrate the human consciousness. However, this value is frequently eroded by the dominance of the animalistic nature over the human nature that should be possessed. Allah reminds us of the following through His words: “Indeed, We have prepared for Hell the majority of the Jinn and mankind; they have hearts, but they do not use them to comprehend (the verses of Allah), eyes, but they do not use them to see (the signs of Allah’s power), and ears, but they do not use them to hear (the verses of Allah). They resemble livestock and are even more disoriented. They are the ones who are naive” (QS al-A’raf: 179).
Imam Qurthubi interpreted the aforementioned verse as follows: “It does not mean that they are physically deaf or blind; their eyes and ears function normally.” But what is meant is that they do not use their five senses appropriately and in accordance with Allah’s and His Messenger’s commands.” He spoke so eloquently, yet humans frequently deny what is there. If he is only capable of performing prayers and “showing off” sacrifices, he will only wear a hypocritically religious attire. In reality, they have obtained all of His favours, but they have not been able to institute prayers and sacrifices in essence. His religiosity is limited to inanimate objects devoid of spirit. Despite the clarity of His verse, there are still those who deny it. It is a loss, particularly if you develop hatred (fitnah) for the truth and take pleasure in iniquity. Since the sons of the prophet Adam, Habil and Qabil, the command to sacrifice has been in effect. This is narrated by Allah in His words: “And tell them (Muhammad) the truth about the story of the two sons of Adam, when both of them offered sacrifices, then (the sacrifice) of one of them (Habil) was accepted and of the other (Qabil) was not accepted” (QS. al-Ma’adah: 27).
The command of the prophet Muhammad to sacrifice his people diverged from the events of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail. This is a reference to Allah’s words: “Indeed, I dreamt that I massacred you. So consider what you believe! He (Ismail) responded by saying, “Dear my father! Do what Allah has commanded you; God willing, you will find me among the patient. (QS. As-Saffat: 102).
Several significant meanings of qurbani must be understood, including the following, with reference to the verses and explanations given above:
First, qurbani is a manifestation of the servant’s desire to be close to the Creator (qarib) and the submission that leads to devotion. When humans are able to “slaughter” their animalistic traits, there is a sense of proximity. Among these animalistic characteristics are shamelessness, selfishness, miserliness, greed, corruption, feeling superior and righteous, preying on and blaming others (searching for scapegoats), arrogance, provocateurs and slanderers, being pleased to see others in distress and distressed to see others in happiness, and others.
Indeed, when referring to the verse about the command to conduct qurbani, the distinction between the command to perform Hajj and qurbani is readily apparent. If Hajj is a commandment for those who are able (istita’a), then qurbani is a worship act for those who are willing (piety). The motivation is a desire to be close to Allah, the Provider of sustenance. This is due to the fact that many economically competent individuals lack the desire to perform qurbani. There are worldly requirements that cause individuals to delay sacrifice. Qurbani in Sharia is the butchering of an animal in accordance with the fiqh book’s requirements. Nevertheless, qurbani is primarily an endeavour by the servant to “slay the traits of stubbornness” within himself. It would be advantageous if both dimensions could be attained. However, if you cannot do both, you can at least accomplish one of the two dimensions.
Second, qurbani is an expression of social piety through the sharing of Allah’s provisions. This is demonstrated by the distribution of qurbani meat to the impoverished. Islam instructs hanba to place a premium on a sense of human solidarity. This relates to the Muslim virtues of empathy, self-awareness, and self-control (avoiding selfishness and meanness). The attitude of social piety is commendable because it allows humans to avoid the hypocritical nature of “there is a shrimp behind the stone” in order to gain sympathy or praise.
Thirdly, the qurbani represents parents who are worthy of Allah’s faith in preparing pious offspring. The figures of Prophet Ibrahim and Siti Hajar made every effort to provide their offspring with halal and good food. His efforts resulted in the creation of zam-zam water, which was blessed and ingested by his son (Ismail). The virtue of what is ingested (halal and good) produces pious offspring.
Fourthly, qurbani constructs either the Habil or Qabil character. If qurbani is performed with sincerity, it becomes like Habil’s Qurbani, which God accepts. He chose the finest of his livestock (qurbani) for the sacrifice. He offered everything with sincerity and deference. Abel has been able to “slaughter” his feral nature and present himself to Allah as a grateful servant. On the other hand, Allah will deny Qabil’s sacrifice if it is performed for the purpose of showing off. He chose an unappealing sacrifice that did him no good. He did it only to comply with the directive. Habil was unable to “slaughter” the animal nature within him; rather, he was able to propagate animal nature within himself.
Fifth, the qurbani is a representation of my victory over Satan’s slander, which failed to convince Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Ismail, and Hajar. The seduction of the demon contains slander against the command of Allah to His servants. The adversary did the same thing to prophets Adam and Eve. The devil’s slander takes the guise of persuasion as if Allah’s command is an error. He convinces humans as if his words are the only truth. The characteristics of the devil’s nature that influence human nature to spread slander include: (1) He speaks highly (arrogantly), believes himself to be the most righteous, and considers himself the best and greatest, despite having done nothing beneficial. All of his utterances are intended to garner praise and sympathy. (2) He spends his entire existence correcting and finding fault with others, but never with his “gaping rotten ulcers.” People’s good deeds, notably those of their opponents, are considered errors. However, when it comes to themselves, small acts of kindness are exaggerated, whereas large errors are accepted as the truth by attempting to find a “scapegoat.” As the devil accused the prophet Adam of his wrath from Allah, despite the fact that his disobedience to Allah was to blame. Such a disposition makes it difficult to discover true friends. He will always be shunned, particularly because the proprietor of “common sense” will avoid him out of fear that he will be slandered in the future when there are other interests. Except for co-workers with “rotten minds and ulcers”
Then, what is the position of each individual on the phenomenon and actuality of the yearly momentum of ‘Iedul Qurban? No one knows apart from the self and the one who possesses the self (Allah). If the heart and mind do not respond to the distinct revelation of His verses, then the path of misguidance and humiliation will be attained. However, salvation will be attained if the heart and mind are startled and vibrated to recognize the dimension of faith. This is the clarity and assurance of Allah’s promise to all of His creatures. Everyone is afforded the opportunity to make decisions, but accountability for those decisions cannot be chosen (obviously).
Wa Allahua’lam bi al-Shawwab.
Translated by Riska Saputra
Alumni from the English Education Study Program at STAIN Bengkalis.
Master Student at Graduate Institute of Network Learning Technology in National Central University, Taiwan.
