What the meaning of Qurban

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

DeExupery:

Did you read those verses in Qur'an? As I said before, please see the verses in Qur'an 37: 101-113 and the context.

037.101
YUSUFALI: So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.
PICKTHAL: So We gave him tidings of a gentle son.
SHAKIR: So We gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance.

037.102
YUSUFALI: Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!"
PICKTHAL: And when (his son) was old enough to walk with him, (Abraham) said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee. So look, what thinkest thou? He said: O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Allah willing, thou shalt find me of the steadfast.
SHAKIR: And when he attained to working with him, he said: O my son! surely I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; consider then what you see. He said: O my father! do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones.

037.103
YUSUFALI: So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),
PICKTHAL: Then, when they had both surrendered (to Allah), and he had flung him down upon his face,
SHAKIR: So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead,

037.104
YUSUFALI: We called out to him "O Abraham!
PICKTHAL: We called unto him: O Abraham!
SHAKIR: And We called out to him saying: O Ibrahim!

037.105
YUSUFALI: "Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
PICKTHAL: Thou hast already fulfilled the vision. Lo! thus do We reward the good.
SHAKIR: You have indeed shown the truth of the vision; surely thus do We reward the doers of good:

037.106
YUSUFALI: For this was obviously a trial-
PICKTHAL: Lo! that verily was a clear test.
SHAKIR: Most surely this is a manifest trial.

037.107
YUSUFALI: And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:
PICKTHAL: Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim.
SHAKIR: And We ransomed him with a Feat sacrifice.

037.108
YUSUFALI: And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:
PICKTHAL: And We left for him among the later folk (the salutation):
SHAKIR: And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations.

037.109
YUSUFALI: "Peace and salutation to Abraham!"
PICKTHAL: Peace be unto Abraham!
SHAKIR: Peace be on Ibrahim.

037.110
YUSUFALI: Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.
PICKTHAL: Thus do We reward the good.
SHAKIR: Thus do We reward the doers of good.

037.111
YUSUFALI: For he was one of our believing Servants.
PICKTHAL: Lo! he is one of Our believing slaves.
SHAKIR: Surely he was one of Our believing servants.

037.112
YUSUFALI: And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous.
PICKTHAL: And we gave him tidings of the birth of Isaac, a prophet of the righteous.
SHAKIR: And We gave him the good news of Ishaq, a prophet among the good ones.

037.113
YUSUFALI: We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.
PICKTHAL: And We blessed him and Isaac. And of their seed are some who do good, and some who plainly wrong themselves.
SHAKIR: And We showered Our blessings on him and on Ishaq; and of their offspring are the doers of good, and (also) those who are clearly unjust to their own souls.

The whole context of the event as recorded in the Qur'an 37: 101-113 leaves no doubt that Ismaeel ( Ishmael ) ( peace be upon him ) was the son to have been sacrificed by his father in response to God's command. The whole event took place in Mecca. And we know that it was Ismaeel ( Ishmael ) ( pbuh ) and his mother who accompanied Abraham to Mecca, settled there, and helped him raise the Kabah as a sacred sanctuary ( Qur'an, 2: 124-130; 14: 35-40 ).

Old testament ( Gen 22:2 ) states that the order was issued to Abraham to "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac ----and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for burnt offering." It is not clear just where that land of Moriah was unless it was the mount of Marwah at Mecca, which supports the Islamic version.

Perhaps the most important argument in favor of the Islamic belief is this: the Jewish-Christian version leads to seriously objectionable conclusions:
(a) Discrimination between brothers just because the mother of one was a slave and that of the other was a free woman.
(b) Discrimination between people because of race, creed, or color
(c) Claiming spiritual superiority in the name of one's ancestors
(d) Denial of legitimacy to a child whose mother is a slave.

All such inferences and conclusions are contrary to the spirit of Islam. The status of one's ancestors, the nobility or humbleness of the mother,and the social origin  or color shades have no bearings on the spiritual and human quality of man, at least not in the sight of God.

( Reference: Islam in Focus by Hammudah Abdalati )


Angela:

I agree with you sister that the common point is that Prophet Ibraheem ( Abraham ) ( peace be upon him ) and one of his sons were tested, and they were successful in that test by unquestioningly obeying Allah's command. 

 In today's world, how many of us would be ready to present such a sacrifice if God ever asked us? That is the major point. Even sacrificing a ram may be hard for some, though most of the Muslims do offer sacrifice annually to thank God for His favors.

 Having said that I would like to say with due respect to your faith that only one version can be right since only one son went through that test. And God wouldn't misguide us giving two different names in different books. Therefore, It is imperative that we learn with sincerity while respecting the belief of others. And it seems to me that you are doing just that.

 May Allah bless you and other Islam learners with the wisdom of Islam.

Peace

<> the spirit of eid-ul-zuha captures the spirit of islam completely......no scholar understands the message of Allah in it......below is the full explanation.

Spirit of Islam.

                                         Part one � Eid ul zuha -

Background - Eid ul Zuha is not just a festival it symbolically represent the Spirit of Islam, it commemorates Abraham�s willingness to even sacrifice his son and his son�s willingness to be sacrificed.

Many critics of Islam point out, what was reason for God to take such a severe test from Abraham, that he asks him to kill his own son?

We are not able to understand this, because as usual, we Muslims don�t have the eye of God�s cause, the eyes of Abel that can receive guidance and not misguidance from the Quran.  {5:27} {2:2} {2:26}.

Satan�s cause is a rival philosophy to the God�s cause. Satan�s cause started when Satan challenged God, saying �you have done injustice to me�, I will not bow down to man, and will take them to Hell. And since then Satan has been trying to prove only one thing- one thing - That man did not deserve it and God was wrong. Only with these eyes can you understand the spirit/reason behind God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son.

Eid-ul-Zuha represents God�s victory over Satan�s challenge and symbolizes that we will work to be the reply of God to the questions of Satan.

The question of Satan - The story of Eid-ul-Zuha does not start with God asking Abraham to kill his son but starts from;

(19:46)- �His (Abraham�s) father said, do you reject my deities Abraham? If you do not desist, I shall surely stone you to death, keep out of my way. Abraham replied, I will pray to my Lord for your forgiveness, Peace be on you. Indeed my Lord has been gracious to me.�

The story of Eid-ul-Zuha does not start with God asking Abraham to kill his son but Satan asking his Satanic Prophet to kill his son. Satan made Azar, the father of Abraham to kill his own son by threatening him to stone him and then putting him in fire.

As comes in a Hadith �Quranic verses have an explicit as well as an implicit meaning� {mishkat ul masabih- 238, also in sharh us sunnah}, I have told you the explicit and now I tell you the implicit dialogues.

Abraham�s father Azar was a man from team of Satan; Satan incited him and turned to Allah saying, �SEE! A father in my religion can kill his own son on my bidding, such lowest of the low is man, and you asked me to bow to such a creature! No indeed I am better than him, see such is man O God, I was right and you were wrong, you have done injustice to me!!�

 The reply of Allah -  So Satan showed one father and in his reply God too showed one father, a father of His religion Islam and asked Abraham to kill his own son that �O SATAN NO YOU SEE! NO YOU SEE! If a father can kill his son on your saying in your religion, a father in Islam too can kill his son on my saying, but you showed the father of your religion some form of justice i.e. kill him because he is rejecting your gods so kill your son, but I will not show the father of Islam justice but injustice, his son is a good son who pleases him and pleases me, I will ask him to kill his son and also see how his son takes that injustice!!!�

O muslims do you understand what it means??? Had you have the eye of Abel, the eye of a Muttaqee, which draws guidance and not misguidance from Quran {2:2} and would had been striving for God�s cause, Allah would had fulfilled his promise to you of {29:69} and guided you to remember what Satan said while leaving paradise � �O Allah you have done injustice to me� { ; }

So there was Abraham with knife on his sons throat, and there was his son Ishmael asking his father to do it!!! Sajda, prostration, bowing, truly their foreheads were not on the ground but has anybody ever done a greater bowing than Abraham and his Son?? Lo like Allah saved Abraham from his father, He also saved Ishmael and replaced him with a ram from paradise.

Satan showed Abraham�s father Azar and said to Allah �SEE!�  So Allah picked up Abraham Ishmael�s father and turned to Satan and said �NO, YOU SEE!! What did you say?  that you are better than man and said Allah you have done injustice to me and so I won�t bow, this you said? See for Me of course this man is better than you, you perceived injustice while it was not and didn�t bow to My command, while he clearly sees injustice yet he bows to my command unlike you, so tell me, you yourself stand witness O Satan, who would appear better to me??�

So with one arrow Allah kills two birds, that a father in my religion too can kill his son if I want and that Man is better than Satan. This is the implicit meaning of the verses of Quran related to this issue and yet it doesn�t end there, it is just the half way.

The rest half - So we have seen how Satan keeps trying to prove that he is better than us and he did the same with picking up father of Abraham but in return Allah gave such a reply, which not only showed the strength which Islam can wield but also as well checkmate Satan.

Now starts the next half, why have we been asked to repeat that event? What is there in it for us? We just like fools blindly without doing Tawassum , Taddabur, Taffakur {reflect, understand , ponder} keep cutting goats, sheep , camels etc.  Tell me would such a Salat, be accepted which is read without even a single bit of spirit of Salat as prophet had or would it be thrown back at the faces? So again I say O muslims your continuous cutting of animals on Eid ul Zuha will never be accepted if you don�t have even a bit of spirit of Prophet Abraham and Ishmael, they both were bowing down to an unjust will of Allah and becoming God�s reply to Satan, O Ummate Muhammadi what has gotten into you, you say not even a leaf moves without will of Allah, nothing happens without will of Allah and when Allah seeks to accept your sacrifice and puts you in a situation where you have to suffer great injustice you don�t become Allah�s reply but run after revenge, hate, negativity, complaint!!! When you should be the happiest that you have been granted the honor, the chance of becoming one whom Allah will pick and turn to Satan and say SEE!!! Allah takes you to a treasure trove but you burn it and jump off the cliff! !!

Eid ul zuha truly comprises the spirit of Islam, once it happened that four boys approached Mullah Nasruddin Effendi and gave him a bag of walnuts and requested; �Mullah we can�t divide the walnuts evenly among us, can you help us please?� The Mullah asked; �God�s way or Mortal�s way?� �God�s way� was the reply. Mullah Nasruddin opened the bag and gave two handfuls to one child, one handful to the other, two walnuts to the third, and none to the fourth!

�What kind of distribution is it Mullah? Have you gone mad?� they asked totally baffled! Mullah replied �Well that is God�s way; He gives some people a lot, some little and nothing to others, for God will show how just he is on day of judgment, but the test is not of Allah but of this child who has been given two handfuls that he shares with the one who has not been given any, and the test is of this boy who has none does he say God your will, I bow down to your will, I shall not snatch or steal. For children the test is not of God but the test is of man, had you asked me to distribute by man�s way, I would had given equal!�

This is way of Allah, He will keep creating situations in which you will suffer injustice, O yes it will be injustice, O yes it will be injustice, O muslims how many chances have you missed? How many sacrifices have you wasted? Again O Muslims how many chances have you missed? How many sacrifices have you wasted??  For you do sacrifice and run to hit back your brother whether physically, verbally or at level of feelings! Mind you I didn�t say your brother at the level of your immediate parents but at the level of Day of Judgment when Allah will call out as comes in Quran �O Children Of Adam.�

How many times does Allah specifically call out in Quran �your religion is same as that of Abraham�s� but how would we �so intelligent� Muslims know?  90% of Muslim world reads Quran in Arabic like a donkey of Sura Juma and understands not a word and the rest 10% who know Arabic makes them believe saying �you can�t understand Quran, it�s really tough and you need knowledge of 80 subjects to understand it! Moreover you will be rewarded on reading Quran in Arabic even if you don�t understand Arabic� {sic} and the 10% ride the 90% donkeys. Hypocrites! Allah will never forgive you, shame on you, the worst hell is reserved for you O false scholars, wait, just wait.

O Muslims return to Allah, become His reply to Satan, O muslims, O muslims what do I call you to, has anybody invited you for a greater honor?

O muslims, O muslims, O muslims.

Tawassum, Taddabur, Taffakur.

Reflect, understand, reason.

The war song of the Muttaqee � I am the warrior O children of Adam.

�I am the one who deals � blow for a blow

While you fools do that - to your own bro

When the master calls - I stand by him alone

While the back stabbing army � sits back at home

It�s I who fight for honor

It�s I who fight for dignity

May I be humiliated & loose

But may Allah find His victory

Go get your army O Satan � and cut me to pieces if you can

But I won�t hit back to bleed my brother � & show to angels who is man

You go fight with America

You go fight with Israel

I go with Allah to fight Satan

You false Moses will drown in the Nile

I am the horse of the master � there are liars around me

My hooves are themselves fire � not scared of fires around me

The horse does not kill

Is ready to be killed in the war

He fights for his master

That�s what his blood is for

I am a warrior - there are rebels around me

I have conquered mountains � what are pebbles around me?�

{the poem is a tribute to Abel {5:27} and sura 100 of the Quran}

May God make us His horses, Aameen.