Do you know what sacrifice means?

So, yes, today, animals all over the world are going to be sacrificed for the sake of God. But it is the animals that are going to be sacrificed. Those sacrificing those animals do not sacrifice anything other than a few hundred Ringgit, many of it illegally earned anyway from usury, exploitation, cronyism, nepotism, speculation, profiteering, bribes, tax evasion, etc.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Muslims nationwide celebrated Aidil Adha today on a moderate scale and in appreciation of sacrifice as required by Islamic teachings. 

Aidil Adha is of great significance for Muslims worldwide and is celebrated in memory of the sacrifice made by the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail in obeying Allah.    

Fine weather in the morning enabled Muslims to perform their prayers comfortably, followed by the sacrificial offerings carried out at mosques, villages and housing estates.  — Bernama

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Performing the pilgrimage or Haj is one of the tenets or rituals of Islam. And today about three million or so Muslims are in Mina where they will spend three days stoning Satan (symbolically, of course) before moving on to Mekah to perform the Sa’i -- the ritual of walking seven times from the hills of Al-Safa to Al-Marwah.

This is what one Islamic website has to say about that ritual:

According to Islamic beliefs, the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was commanded by God to leave his wife Hagar and their infant son alone in the desert between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah with only basic provisions to test their faith. When their provisions were exhausted, Hagar went in search of help or water. To make her search easier and faster, she went alone, leaving the infant Ismail (Ishmael) on the ground. 

She first climbed the nearest hill, Al-Safa, to look over the surrounding area. When she saw nothing, she then went to the other hill, Al-Marwah, to look around. While Hagar was on either hillside, she was able to see Ismail and know he was safe. However, when she was in the valley between the hills she was unable to see her son, and would thus run whilst in the valley and walk at a normal pace when on the hillsides.

Hagar travelled back and forth between the hills seven times in the scorching heat before returning to her son. When she arrived, she found that a spring had broken forth from where the crying baby kicked the sand with his feet. This spring is now known as the Zamzam Well, and was revealed by the angel of God as both sustenance and a reward for Hagar's patience.

Yesterday, those performing the Haj had to spend at least 24 hours congregating (and waiting) in the Arafah desert just outside Muzdalifa and Mina. This is symbolic of what is supposed to happen when you die -- and when you are resurrected to face judgement and to receive your punishment or reward for what you do in this life.

Basically, this represents the day of judgement and symbolic of all of us waiting anxiously for the fate that will befall us after we die. So, as you can see, the waiting in Arafah, the stoning of Satan in Mina, the walk from Al-Safa to Al-Marwah seven times, etc., are all symbolic rituals to remind us what the pilgrimage or Haj is all about.

And the lesson from all these rituals and symbolism is that we need to sacrifice in this life to be rewarded accordingly in the next life. And that is why today is called the Festival of the Sacrifice or Aidil Adha.

What, however, is the Festival of the Sacrifice symbolic of? Well, according to the Jews, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac (Ishak) from his first wife, Sarah. According to the Muslims, though, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismail from his second wife, Hagar.

Hence both Jews and Muslims share the same roots but are from different branches of the family tree of Abraham. The Jews are from the son of Abraham’s first wife while the Muslims are from the son of Abraham’s second wife. In other words, the Jews and Muslims are ‘related by birth’ but are split into Team A and Team B -- no different from Umno politics over the last 60 years or so since the 1950s.

Anyway, the most important aspect of Islamic (and Jewish) teachings is to sacrifice. And this is reinforced in aHadith that relates the Prophet Muhammad as saying that if you want to give sedekah (alms or donations) to someone then give something that you love or treasure the most. Giving away your old and tattered clothes that no longer fit you is no sedekah as you sacrifice nothing. In fact, those taking them are doing you a favour by helping you to get rid of your junk.

Abraham loved his son tremendously but when God commanded him to sacrifice his son he did not hesitate to do so. He sharpened his knife and told his son to lie down so that he (Abraham) can slit his (son’s) throat.

Abraham’s son gladly did as he was told but just before the knife touched his throat God rescinded the command and told Abraham to replace his son with an animal. Hence, till today, this day is celebrated with the sacrifice of a lamb, goat, cow, buffalo, camel, etc.

So there you are. God told Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son and Abraham plus his son gladly complied. So, today, Muslims all over the world sacrifice an animal as a symbolic gesture of Abraham’s sacrifice of his son in compliance with God’s command.

But how many Muslims treat today as merely a ritual and a day of celebration? How many Muslims treat today as the particular day in a year that they need to sacrifice in the way of Allah? How many Muslims can live a life of sacrifice all year round from one day of Aidil Adha to the next day of Aidil Adha the following year?

Rituals and symbolism in religion are meant as reminders and to test our discipline, obedience, commitment and resolve. But most people will be good and obedient only for that one day. Then, for the rest of the year, they revert to following the life of the devil.

Corrupt, greedy, racist, evil, etc., Muslims will stop being corrupt, greedy, racist and evil only for today, the day of the Festival of the Sacrifice. Then, tomorrow, once the day of the Festival of the Sacrifice is over, they will revert to what they really are.

Sacrifice is a very easy word to throw around. Everyone talks about sacrifice. Everyone says to see change we need to sacrifice. But whether you are Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or whatever, how many of you really practice what you preach?

Sacrifice is probably the most overrated and overused word amongst Malaysians. Nine out of ten Malaysians will scream that word. But less than one in ten Malaysians would dare sacrifice.

If you think change is necessary and that we must see change at all costs, how many of you will pay this cost of sacrifice to see this change? As a start, how many of you will dare use your real names to post comments inMalaysia Today?

Yes, you might face the wrath of the government and you might have to sacrifice your freedom if you do that. But what is the use of sacrifice if you dare not sacrifice a minor and unimportant thing like your freedom? What is your freedom for the sake of change? Nothing!

So, yes, today, animals all over the world are going to be sacrificed for the sake of God. But it is the animals that are going to be sacrificed. Those sacrificing those animals do not sacrifice anything other than a few hundred Ringgit, many of it illegally earned anyway from usury, exploitation, cronyism, nepotism, speculation, profiteering, bribes, tax evasion, etc.

If all you are prepared to do is to pay a few hundred Ringgit to buy an animal so that its throat can be slit, then better save your money. Don’t waste your money. Your so-called sacrifice is no sacrifice. It is merely a waste of your money and the waste of the life of the animal. Sacrifice is not mere rituals and symbolism. It has to be from the heart. And most Malaysians have absolutely no heart and no guts for sacrificing anything, whatever religion they may profess.