# Episode 7: The Sacrifice **Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman **Series:** Virtues of Dhul Hijjah **Published:** 2019-08-07 **YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gIoJW6LobU **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-7-the-sacrifice-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah **Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia ## Description The most prominent practice of the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah is the sacrifice, thats why its called Eid of Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha. And while we know it is symbolic of Prophet Ibrahim (as) and the test of sacrifice given to him by Allah, there is more to it. Dr. Omar Suleiman delves into the... ## Transcript **[0:01]** Salamualikoum wa rahmatollahi wa barakato. Welcome back to the virtues of Dhul Hijjah. So the most prominent practice that we have within these 10 days is obviously the Eid **[0:16]** of the sacrifice, Eid al-Adha. It's the sacrifice itself. And it is the sacrifice of Ibrahim alayhi salam that we are commemorating. But there's something very deep about the Eid of the sacrifice or the sacrifice itself and the meaning of the Udhiyah. So Udhiyah or sacrifice in particularly in the pre-Islamic context used to be done to **[0:37]** the idols that they would bring to the Kaaba and they would surround the house of Ibrahim alayhi salam, the house that Ibrahim alayhi salam built for Allah. They would surround it with idols and then they would sacrifice to those idols. And this is very embedded in the aspect of worship that used to be carried out. **[0:54]** And for us, we find in the Quran where Allah mentions, qul inna salati wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahi rabbil alameen. Severely my prayer and my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for the sake of Allah. So the fact that Allah would even put sacrifice in the same category as salah, as prayer here, **[1:13]** shows you really how deeply embedded this was in worship to the idols and in the way that they would offer sacrifices to the idols. So what is it with the sacrifice and what do we take from the sacrifice? There is a deep meaning in the Abrahamic way, in the way of Ibrahim alayhi salam. **[1:28]** It's obviously embedded in Judeo-Christian thought, in Jewish thought with Ibrahim alayhi salam, in Christian thought, you know, even calling Isa alayhi salam, Jesus peace be upon him, the Lamb of God, the sacrifice of Allah. For us, we look at this as first and foremost a means of drawing close to Allah subhanahu **[1:47]** wa ta'ala. So it's honoring the one God that there is only sacrifice to the one God. And also it's a means of drawing close to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So the word qurbani, qurb, which by the way is the same word in Hebrew that the Jews would use, Muslims also say qurbani, qurbani, qurbani in Arabic is to draw close to Allah subhanahu **[2:05]** wa ta'ala. So it's a means of honoring the one God, it's a means of coming close to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the way of Ibrahim alayhi salam. And Ibn Umar narrates that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam used to offer a sacrifice for all ten years that he lived in Medina. So every one of the ten years he lived in Medina, he would sacrifice salallahu alayhi **[2:24]** wa sallam. And that's significant because the Prophet only did one hajj in the ninth year of the hijjah, I'm sorry, the ninth year after hijrah, but he offered sacrifice every one of those years. Just like he fasted Arafah from the second year after hijrah onwards, the Prophet salallahu **[2:42]** alayhi wa sallam was still practicing the udhiyah and still practicing the fasting of Arafah even before the hajj came. Now the benefit of the one offering the sacrifice, not trimming their nails or not trimming their hair, any of their hair or their body hair, is significant too. **[2:59]** Now if any of you have been to Umrah or Hajj, you know that when you're in a state of Ihram, there's certain prohibitions for you, so you're not allowed to take from your hair or your nails as you're in that state of Ihram. Likewise when a person is in that state or in the state of going to offer a sacrifice, **[3:15]** for the first ten days of the hijjah, they're not allowed to take from their hair or their nails until after the sacrifice is done. Now what's the significance of that? One it connects us to the people in Hajj, it connects us to the people in Ihram, and a lot of times we have a hard time connecting to those people. **[3:30]** So the one offering the sacrifice is like the one who's in a state of Ihram. Another benefit that Al-Shawqani rahim Allah mentions in Al-Awwataar, that just like the person who's in Ihram is completely ransomed from the punishment of Jahannam on the day of judgement, likewise it is like saying every single part of you is freed and ransomed **[3:50]** and protected from punishment on the day of judgement, if it is accepted by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So it's freeing your entire body from punishment and ransoming yourself with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as you offer that sacrifice. **[4:05]** Who is the person that is to abide by this? It's the person offering the sacrifice, not necessarily the one carrying it out. What does that mean? If I delegate someone else to sacrifice on my behalf but I am the one offering the sacrifice, that person is not the one subject to the prohibitions, I am. **[4:23]** So the person who is offering the sacrifice on behalf of themselves and their family, so not the one that's carrying it out, nor the one that is being carried out on their behalf, it's the one who is offering the sacrifice that would have to abide by those prohibitions **[4:38]** so that they too could insha'Allah ta'ala benefit from the full reward, and of course everyone that is being offered on behalf of also enjoys the same reward and this is from the wisdoms of it. Lastly, and I think it's very beautiful, that in our religion we have two Eids, we have these two sacrifices, I'm sorry, these two feasts. **[4:56]** And when we have Eid al-Fitr, which is the Eid after the month of Ramadan, the fast of Ramadan, you have Zakat al-Fitr, you have a charity that is due on everyone that can afford it to pay for the feast of someone else, of another family. **[5:12]** So all of the Muslims are supposed to give Zakat al-Fitr, the able Muslims are supposed to give Zakat al-Fitr, so that they are not the only ones that get to enjoy Eid, but the entire community gets to feast on that day, even if they're not able to feast throughout the year. Likewise, here you have on Eid al-Adha, a requirement or a sunnah, a practice in which **[5:33]** a person who can offer a sacrifice is to offer a sacrifice, and then that meat is distributed so that other people can feast as well, that typically would not be able to feast. And in a lot of countries, Muslim countries and places where the sacrifices take place, many people would only eat from an animal that day in particular. **[5:53]** They would not be able to afford it throughout the year, but that's the only day that they get to eat from the Udhiyah, to eat from the sacrifice, and so everyone gets to feast on that day, even the poor who are typically left out. And so it's just beautiful that both of the Eids require us to include the wider community **[6:10]** that typically does not get to celebrate, everyone should celebrate on this day, and everyone should have the means to celebrate on this day. So just like in Eid al-Fitr, if you can pay it so that someone else can enjoy it, you must. And likewise, with Eid al-Adha, if you can offer a sacrifice so that others can enjoy **[6:26]** that sacrifice, enjoy the meat of that sacrifice and feast as well, then you should do it, and that allows the entire community to truly enjoy Eid together. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow us to see the benefits of it in this life and in the next, and join us with our beloved Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, the Prophet Ibrahim **[6:44]** alayhi wa sallam, and all of the Prophets in the highest level of Jannat al-Firdaus. Allahumma Ameen. ## Other Episodes in "Virtues of Dhul Hijjah" - [Episode 10: "And in That Let Them Rejoice"](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-10-and-in-that-let-them-rejoice-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 9: The Wonders of 'Arafah](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-9-the-wonders-of-arafah-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 8: 3 Years of Fasting](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-8-3-years-of-fasting-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 6: The Preferred Forms of Remembrance](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-6-the-preferred-forms-of-remembrance-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 5: Fasting the First 9 Days](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-5-fasting-the-first-9-days-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 4: The 10 Days of Moses](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-4-the-10-days-of-moses-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 3: The Days Allah Swears By](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-3-the-days-allah-swears-by-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 2: The Best Good Deeds](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-2-the-best-good-deeds-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md) - [Episode 1: The Sacred Months](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-1-the-sacred-months-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)