SacrificeA Very Common Ritual in All Beliefs

Overview

• What is Sacrifice?• Sacrifice in Primitive Tribes• Sacrifice in Three Abrahamic

Religions– Who is Prophet Abraham(pbuh)?– The Place of Sacrifice in Each Religion– A Living Example: Sacrifice in Islam

What is Sacrifice?

• Sacrifice in most general meaning:The offering of anything to God, or to a god

• Offering can be in any form:by killing with a knife, by burning, etc.

• Anything can be offered:an animal, a human, a non-living object,

etc.

• To God, or to a god!• For any reason:

thanksgiving, atonement, or conciliation

Sacrifice in Primitive Tribes

• Usually believed in – Celestial objects (sun, moon, stars, etc.)– Atmospheric Events (rain, wind, etc.)– Idols

• Sacrifice was a common ritual for– Thanksgiving– Protection against anger of gods– Preventing natural disasters

• They have sacrificed– An important person, animal, or object

Sacrifice in Abrahamic Religions

• Who is Prophet Abraham(pbuh) and Why is he so important?

• The Place of Sacrifice in Each Religion

• A Living Example: Sacrifice in Islam

Prophet Abraham(pbuh)

• Descendant of the son of Prophet Noah(pbuh) named Sam

• Had two sons:– Ishmael (Prophet Mohammed(pbuh)’s

ancestor)– Isaac (Ancestor of Moses and Jesus)

• Found Allah (or the God) using his own rationale

• Had very hard times with Nimrod and his own tribe

Prophet Abraham(pbuh)

• Built the House of Allah: Kaaba• Performed the first Hajj

The Place of Sacrifice in Judaism&Christianity

• In the Torah:(Gen. 22) Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 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." • In Christianity, Jesus was the

Perfect Sacrifice to take away the sin of the mankind

Sacrifice in Islam• Verses from Quran about sacrifice:

[37.101-108] So We gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. 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. So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead,

And We called out to him saying: O Ibrahim! You have indeed shown the truth of the vision; surely thus do We reward the doers of good: Most surely this is a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a Feat sacrifice. And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations.

[108.2] Therefore pray to your Lord and make a sacrifice.

• Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) tells us to make sacrifice as Prophet Abraham(pbuh) did.

Sacrifice in Islam• Eid-Ul-Adha (a.k.a. the Feast of

Sacrifice)– the second of the two major Muslim

holy days – observed after the Hajj

• “Qurbani” means ‘approach’• Qurbani is a symbol of

•commitment, •obedience and

•self-sacrifice to Allah • Our Qurbanis carry us in

our journey to Heaven

Feast of Sacrifice

• Salatul-Eid (Eid Prayer) in the morning • A short sermon, after which everyone

socializes• Offering of domestic animals, usually

sheep, as a symbol of Abraham's(pbuh) sacrifice

•One third of the meat to poor people

•One third to relatives, friends, neighbors

•One third for their own

Feast of Sacrifice

• Visits to relatives, friends and neighbors

• Gifts and sweets for children• Pray for forgiveness from Allah and

strength of faith• Forgive others,

releasing any feelings of enmity or ill feeling towards others