Renewal of Sacrifice
and Selflessness
The festival of Eid al-Adha, like other historical festivals, is a commemoration of a significant and transformative event. Every year, on this day, during the last month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, Eid al-Adha is celebrated, so that people remember the great event that occurred on this day and make a commitment to bring it into their lives. In one word, this day is a reminder of sacrifice and selflessness. It is a day for renewing sacrifice and selflessness.
The significant event that Eid al-Adha commemorates occurred approximately four thousand years ago. The father of prophets, Prophet Abraham, who was born in the civilised country of ancient Iraq (Ur), offered his son Ishmael as a sacrifice for a higher purpose. This sacrifice wasn’t about putting a knife to the body, but it was like placing the knife of patience on his entire life. It was to ignore one’s self for the sake of truth. It was about relinquishing smaller desires for a greater goal. It was about moving forward toward his purpose, no matter what—even if it meant sacrificing his most cherished possession.
What is the relevance of Eid al-Adha for us? And what kind of sacrifice and selflessness does this day ask from us? To understand this, we need to know what the real meaning of the sacrifice of Prophet Abraham was. Only after understanding the importance of his sacrifice can we understand its value in our own lives and adopt it practically.
Initially, the story of Prophet Abraham’s sacrifice is that he tried to sacrifice his beloved son Ishmael in accordance with a dream. However, God stopped him from doing so. Instead of his son’s life, he was instructed to sacrifice a ram. Regarding Ishmael, God commanded that he be taken and settled in the desert of Arabia. This indicates that God’s true plan was not the temporary physical sacrifice of the son but his lasting psychological sacrifice. At that time, settling someone in the desert of Arabia was equivalent to placing them in a lifelong state of sacrifice.
It was God’s plan to bring about a far-reaching reformative revolution in the world—one that would serve as a source of goodness and well-being for all humanity. To accomplish this, a team of individuals with the highest moral and spiritual qualities was needed. For the formation of this powerful team, God chose to work through the family of Prophet Abraham.
For this goal, it was necessary to assemble a group of people who were free from moral and cultural degeneration, in whom natural human virtues remained strong, and who embodied all the noble qualities called in Arabic as al-muru’ah—true manliness, moral courage. Such a generation could not be created within the artificial environment of cities and settlements. A simple and natural setting was required. This was the plan, and it was carried out through Abraham and Ishmael. Prophet Abraham sacrificed his son for this great purpose.
To fulfil this plan, Prophet Abraham took his son out of the urban life of ancient Iraq (Ur) and placed him in the uninhabited region of Arabia. At that time, there was nothing there except sand and stones. Because of a lack of water, there was no sign of life. However, the biggest resource in this empty place was the natural environment, where a person could grow according to his pure nature, where his natural human qualities had the chance to develop freely.
God chose this dry and barren place to raise the new generation that was needed. It became a significant desert training ground, where Prophet Abraham settled his son Ishmael. When Ishmael reached adulthood, he married a woman from the desert tribe. In this desert environment, the new generation began to form, which later became known as Banu Ishmael.
These were the Banu Ishmael, or the Children of Ishmael, among whom the selected individuals became known as the Companions of the Last Messenger (Prophet Muhammad).
The Prophet of Islam was born in this very nation, the Banu Ishmael. He gathered them under the belief of Tawheed (Oneness of God), and with them, brought about a global Islamic revolution that changed the direction of human history. These Banu Ishmael were unique people, full of noble human values. Professor Philip Hitti rightly called them a nursery of heroes.
The animal that is sacrificed on Eid al-Adha is not the actual sacrifice. It is only a symbol of the real sacrifice. In truth, we are supposed to sacrifice ourselves. The animal sacrifice is a symbolic sacrifice. It is done so that the high spirit of sacrifice stays alive in people. So that through a practical event, they remember what their life’s purpose is and how they should move toward it.
The sacrifice of Prophet Abraham is a great example. But we are to follow it in its real spirit, not in its outer form. This example doesn’t mean that in every age, people should go to the desert and repeat the same hardships that happened with Ishmael and Hajra in ancient Arabia. Later generations must adopt the spirit of that sacrifice. The outer form of the event is temporary, but its spirit has eternal value.
Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ishmael sacrificed themselves for a better future for humanity by leaving the civilized world and settling in the uninhabited desert. They left the lush and developed land of Iraq and moved to the dry deserts of Arabia. Despite outward differences, this same sacrifice is required from everyone within their own sphere. Everyone has their own “green Iraq.” And each of us must leave our own comfortable “green Iraq” and settle in our own version of the “desert of Arabia.”
We should ask ourselves: in today’s world, which part of the story of Prophet Abraham is needed, and what kind of sacrifice is God asking from us? In today’s conditions, whatever sacrifice is required to build a better world—no matter what its outward shape is—in its spirit, it will be the same as the sacrifice of Prophet Abraham. And the person who proves his dedication will earn the same reward that is given to his sacrifice.
Now think: in today’s times, what must we do to follow the way of Prophet Abraham? What is the sacrifice required from us today?
Prophets Abraham and Ishmael offered a very unique and special kind of sacrifice. It was such a deep and complete sacrifice that no one else in human history has ever repeated it. That’s why it is a standard and outstanding example for all humankind. Similarly, in the future, people must offer sacrifices based on their own situations and abilities. The day of Eid al-Adha teaches everyone this responsibility.
The field of sacrifice and selflessness is very wide. It can be something very small, and it can also be very big. When you are travelling by bus and you give up your seat for a woman or an old man, that is also a sacrifice. If you are an officer in an institution, and you step down to give the position to someone more capable, that too is a sacrifice. If you feel anger or hatred against someone, but you cool down your feelings with patience, that is also a sacrifice. If you have more material wealth and your brother has less, and you give him a portion of your wealth, that too is a sacrifice. In this way, the chain of sacrifices continues all through life, every single day. Without this kind of sacrifice, a better social life cannot be built.
In life, no great work can ever be done without sacrifice. Every big task always demands selflessness. To lift the nation, we must be ready to put ourselves in the background. To develop the country, we must accept personal loss. To raise humanity, we must lower our own flags. To improve collective life, we must control our desires. To uphold principles, we must crush our ego. To give peace to our neighbours, we must place restrictions on ourselves. All such actions are examples of sacrifice, and it is this kind of sacrifice whose importance is taught by the festival of Eid al-Adha.
All India Radio, New Delhi, 14 July 1989.
