10 sacrifice docx

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10. SACRIFICE Next week, on the 24th of September 2015 the Muslims around the world will celebrate the festival of Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice. It commemorates the willingness of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismael.1 Iblīs (Satan) persuaded him not to do so, telling him that Allah would never order something bad like sacrificing his son. Prophet Abraham threw stone at him, ignoring his advice in obeying Allah without any condition, whether rational or irrational. It is a total obedience. This is an example of total submission to Allah, whereas Iblīs, using his analogy but polluted with envy, disobeyed Allah when he was ordered to pay respect to Adam. It is because he was created from fire, while Adam was created from clay. He thought that fire was better than clay, and therefore he who was created from fire was not supposed to bow to Adam who was created from clay, even it was Allah’s order. He was supposed to have totally obeyed Him without any reservation, because it was Allah Who created him. That is what Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael did: total submission and obedience to Allah, and we are supposed to do the same. At the last moment Allah replaced Isma’il with a ram to be sacrificed. Following this example the Muslims all over the world who are affluent are urged to share their fortune by sacrificing a goat, a sheep, a cow, or a camel. The meat is to be divided in three parts: a part is to be distributed to the poor, the other 1

According to the Bible, it was Isaac who would be sacrificed instead of Ishmael. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22: 2). This verse means, either Ishmael was not considered Abraham’s son, or Ishmael was not loved by his father, Abraham. Neither of these statements is acceptable in Islam. In fact the genuineness of the Bible in general is doubted, and the Genesis in particular, which is like a weak ḥadītḥ. Genesis 22: 12 states the Isaac was his only son.


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