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RIWAYA: My Sacrifice By Creed Islam NOT Scott Stapp

mindaviews riwaya

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 July) — With all due respect to Scott Stapp who wrote “My Sacrifice” lyrics and made it a hit song with his band Creed, this piece of mine is about my Qurbani or Sacrifice in celebrating Eidul Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) as a Muslim who’s living a way of life via deenul Islam or Creed of Islam.

Literally, qurbani derived from the Arabic word qurbanah, means to take an action with the intention of drawing nearer to Allah. In the Qur’an, just like “udhiyah” , qurbani refers to  a “slaughtered animal” in ritual sacrifice.

Let me share to you the spiritual context of my own sacrifice to commemorate Eidul Adha 2021 through the Words in the Qur’an of The One Lord of all His 25 Prophets ranging from Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Noah, Solomon, David, Yahya, Jesus and Nabi Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all. It is when Allah commanded Abraham to slaughter his son Ismail as a test of his absolute faith to Allah by which Abraham executed without even questioning the Will of Allah at all. Thus, because of his free will total surrender to Allah, Allah rewarded Abraham by exchanging Ismail with a ram instead.

“And when (his son Ismail) 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.

So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),

We called unto him: O Abraham!

Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!” – thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.

And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. كبش – a ram);

And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among the later generations.

“Salâm (peace) be upon Ibrâhîm (Abraham)!”

Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

Verily, for he was one of our believing Servants.

And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishâq (Isaac) – a Prophet from the righteous.”

(QUR’AN SURAT AS-SAFFAT 37:102-112)

That was the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim unto him be peace and to his son Ismail.

We, too, have our unique shares of  the Test of Faith such as now during pandemic; at home as a son or daughter, as parent or as spouse; as public servant, overseas Filipino workers, as leaders or as subordinates, as consumers or as producers, as learners or as teachers, as healthworkers or defenders, as financiers, oligarchs or as civilians– in all these trials we must do what must be done the halal way but clearly remember that in whatever circumstance, the humanity in us will thus be tested — and so we must completely surrender to the Will of Allah. That’s our ultimate sacrifice all for Allah’s sake.

Beyond slaughtering a qurban, for both pilgrims (hujjaj) or not, the essence of Eidul Adha is about selflessness, charity, humility, gratitude, and absolute trust and faith in Allah at all times because if we obey Him and perform our duties, Allah will remove our difficulties in life and find a way for us in ways we never could imagine.

“The sacrificial camels and cattle (at the Hajj-pilgrimage) we have made for you as among the symbols from Allah: in them is (much) good for you: then pronounce the name of Allah over them as they line up (for sacrifice): when they are down lifeless on their sides (after slaughter), eat ye thereof, and feed such as (beg not but) live in contentment, and such as beg with due humility: thus have We made animals subject to you, that ye may be grateful.

It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right.” (QUR’AN Surat Hajj, 22:36-37)

After all, essentially it is neither about the slaughtered blood nor its meat that shall be accepted by Allah but our sincere charity for the hungry, destitute, needy; our  gratitude and piety symbolical of such sacrifice of ours solely for the Sake of Allah.

Alhamdulillah even without a sacrificial animal for this Eid, my own Qurbani as one of those Muslims who do not have the means to afford it can be the utterance of Allah’s name Bismillāh: In the Name of Allah. I am grateful and thankful to the Most Merciful Allah.

Relative to qurbani for Eidul Adha, Muslims can or may share with others to buy one animal to sacrifice- be it camel, cow, sheep, goat- from which one third of its meat will be for the poor, a third for your neighbors, and the last for you and your family. So, every Muslim family can either be the benefactor of the sacrifice or its beneficiary as the case may be.

Worth mentioning is another sacrifice required for a Muslim when a baby is born called aqīqah, also aqeeqa, or aqeeqah: the Islamic tradition of the sacrifice  of an animal on the occasion of a child’s birth. Two goats for a son and one goat for a daughter; but if it’s a cow then the aqīqah is good for the aqeeqah of seven babies.

But if the parents cannot afford an animal to be slaughtered for their child, aqiqah rites may proceed without a sacrificial animal but can be done later when they can afford it or if not at all–the child when he/she grows up to be an adult and already  can afford it thus may offer slaughtered animal for himself/herself. Apart from slaughtered animal, Sunnah rites for the newborn include: shaving baby’s head, giving charity equal in gold or silver to the weight of its shaved wisps of hair, tahneek or dampening its lips with honey or pressed dates, and giving it a good name.

Nonetheless, Qurban can only be done between the 10th to 13th Dhulhijjah but Aqīqah can be done anytime, including during Qurban period. But both Qurban and Aqiqah are Sunnah muakkadah or is a highly encouraged Sunnah for those who can afford it. Generally, qurbani meat is distributed raw while aqīqah meat is cooked before distribution.

Indeed, Islam as a comprehensive way of peaceful life is never made to be a difficulty from Allah but as a means of ease, in fact, with a lot of easy options depending on your dire circumstances be it financial or otherwise. Some examples are: you “may” eat pork in times of daroora (point of death where there’s no halal food to eat); you have the option to shorten (qasr) prayers or to combine prayers for travellers (Salatul musafir) but according to prescribed conditions of distance and length of journey; excuse to fast when menstruating, ill or during long travel, among others.

Takbir mutlaq will continue to resonate in our hearts and in our home until tomorrow 22 July 2021 just before sunset In shaa Allah. So my heart goes:

Allahu Akbar ❣️Allahu Akbar ❣️Allahu Akbar La ilaha illallahu Allahu Akbar ❣️Allahu Akbar wa lillaahil hamd ❣️

(Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, There is no other God but Allah and unto Him belongs All Praise)

From our dearly beloved family to yours: may Allah accept all our pious deeds and perfect joyful bliss in our hearts as One Nation throughout the World. Looking forward to the 1st day of Muharram which is the 1st month of another new year 1443 AH (After Hijrah). In shaa Allah. May we migrate from whatever seemingly #darkness (ie ignorance, misery, pandemic, crisis, oppression) that we are in now to the Light of Islam… Allahumma Aameen!

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Warina Sushil A. Jukuy describes herself as a” Muslim Tausug of Lupah Sug in diaspora, displaced twice from Sulu to Davao City in 1974 and again since 2009. She thrives as a Peace Warrior using mortar and pestle, pen and ink, colors and voice, and keyboard.”)

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