Dear All,

Iedul Qurban has just passed, and I would love the explanation the significance and the meaning of Qurban for moslems.

Fox

Auzubillahi minash shaitan ir rajeem,

Bismillah ir rahman ir rahim,

Hello DeExupery

Muslims have two celeberations, namely EId-ul-fitr and eid ul adha.

The first is when the month of fasting ends.

The second, whichc you have called eid ul Qurban is celeberated for three days after the day of Hajj (9th Dhul Hajj). This means it is on the 10th, 11th and 12th of Dhul Hajj on the Islamic calender.

Qurban means sacrifice. The significance of this eid is from the offering of Prophet Abraham(as), who prepeared to present his son Ismail(as) to Allah, upon having dream of such a command. He prepared to offer his son, but this was a test from Allah, so before he could sloughter his boy, the angels replaced him with a sacrificing animal.

To remember this sacrifice of him we,muslim who can afford to, make an offering to Allah of an animal. This is called Qurbani. It is not an obligation, but necessariry for all who are earning and have enough money to do it. The meat of the animal should be divided into three portions, of which one third is distributed among the poor, another part among relatives and friends, and the third is consumed in the family.

I hope this answers your Question.

Peace,

Nausheen

Dear Nausheen,

you said:

Qurban means sacrifice. The significance of this eid is from the offering of Prophet Abraham(as), who prepeared to present his son Ismail(as) to Allah, upon having dream of such a command. He prepared to offer his son, but this was a test from Allah, so before he could sloughter his boy, the angels replaced him with a sacrificing animal.

Thank you for your explanation. Are you sure that the son is Ismael? Do you have a Quranic Source to support you?

One again, does the sacrifice also have any simbolic meaning about the relation between God and Human? I mean, if it's not important, why it's necessary to slaughter animals. I mean if we want to give the poor, My naive thought says that we can do so with our money and other things.

Fox

Dear Firewall,

you said (let me paraphrase you):

(1) The qurban only means to feast together.

(2) Abraham's son which were meant to be slaughtered as Qurban was Ismail.

For this I would love to ask you:

(1) This is just a confirmation. So in Quran, Qurban doesn't affect to God, but only another good deed that will get judgement from Allah. Is that so?

(2) Would love Quranic Verses that mentioning Ismael was the Qurban.

Thanks.

Fox 

DeExupery,

The whole context of the event as recorded in the Qur'an ( 37: 101-113 ) leaves no doubt that Ismaeel ( Ishmael ) ( pbuh ) was the son to have been sacrificed by his father in response to God's command.

Peace

Dear DeExupery
The evidence is also given in Bible:

Genisis Ch-17, verse 16-20, says that Ishmael was born before the birth of Issac, "18. And Abraham said unto God, o that Ishmael might live before thee! 19. And God said, Sarah, thy wife shall bear a son indeed,...." then in ch-22 verse-2 says, "And he (God) said, take now thy son, thine ONLY son Issac, whom thou lovest...." (for sacrifice).

Here the one who was doing alteration in the Bible forgot that now Issac but Ishmael was the first born child of Abraham. Perhaps some day a wise publisher will correct the mistake.

Why don't you tell it to the pope? After all there are so many alterations so why not this one to put the record straight????

Shams Zaman  Pakistan

Dear Sham,

We are talking about Quran here. I would love a reference that IT IS ISHMAEL that was about to be sacrified. Would love a verse with his name on it, because Bible said it is Issac.

Fox

By the way, if you insist, this is my explanation,

In the Genesis 21, Hagar and Ismael had already been sent away because Sarah insisted. So Isacc was the only SON from that time. Please read whollly.

Shams,

Some Christians believe in the double sacrifice of Abraham.  He was forced to give up Ishmael because of the fighting between Hagar and Sarah.  Then after he had lost Ishmael, God asked him to sacrifice the ONLY son he had LEFT.  Therefore it was a harder sacrifice.

Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

    ¹ Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. ² Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. ³ Abraham gave the name Isaac ^[b] to the son Sarah bore him. ⁴ When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

    ⁶ Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." ⁷ And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

    ¹¹ The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. ¹² But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring ^[c] will be reckoned. ¹³ I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring."

    ¹⁴ Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

    ¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she ^[d] began to sob.

    ¹⁷ God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸ Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."

    ¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

    ²⁰ God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. ²¹ While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

    ³¹ So that place was called Beersheba, ^[e] because the two men swore an oath there.

    ³² After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. ³³ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. ³⁴ And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

Genesis 22

    ¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram ^[f] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

    ¹⁵ The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring ^[g] all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

    ¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor's Sons

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.

Sorry for being late I was away!

Well brother peacemaker has provided the Quranic reference.

However on the Bible question I and certainly no sane person would agree that on the pretext of some querral a father would even denounce the existence of his first son and would call his second son as the ONLY son.

Or maybe the god speaking to Abrahim is ignorant of the fact that Abrahim has 2 sons and Issac is not his ONLY SON?

If only Issac was there then what was the need of adding ONLY then the verses should have been that "sacrifice your son Issac" and not "ONLY SON ISSAC".

There can be only two possiblities about it either the God was not aware of the Ismael's birth or someone has manipulated the text. The second possiblity is certainly true because God did know about the birth of Ismael.

That is why I said that the text should be put right. Either the only should be omitted or Ismael should be added.

However, this doesn't effects Muslims as to who was offered for the sacrifice both Issac and Ismael are equally respectful for us and we do the sacrifice to recall that once GOD commanded Abrahim to sacrifice his son he did so. Similarly we should also be ready to respond to His call with our lives, families and property anytime and anywhere.

This is the true message. 

Shams Zaman   

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.