The Meaning of Sacrifice

(Extracts taken from the book “Ismaili Fes vals: Stories of Celebra on” by
Shiraz Kabani, Chapter 2)

The commemoration of Eid al-Adha is characterised by various festive celebrations. In many

Muslim-majority countries, the celebrations are spread over three to four days, which are often
public holidays. But preparations start well before then, with sweet and gift shops, decorative
lighting providers, as well as clothing vendors kept busy by enthusiastic shoppers. It is common
to buy boxes of traditional sweets, known as mithai in South Asia, and to share these among
family and friends. Often, homes and mosques are decorated with streaming lights, makeshift
amusement parks or fairs (melas) are organised for kids, who also receive gifts (usually in the
form of money), known as Eidi, from their elders. It is a time to revive and consolidate bonds
between family and friends by sharing festive meals and attending various social events. It is
also a time to remember loved ones who have passed away. Among Syrian Ismailis, for
instance, there is a practice of visiting the graves of relatives to offer prayers and lay plants.
Meanwhile, in South Asia and some parts of the Arab world, women are known to create
beautiful designs with mehndi on their palms. All in all, it is a truly festive period.
Perhaps the most pertinent tradition during Eid al-Adha, however, is the act of sacrifice.
The festival is widely referred to as Bakri Eid (‘Goat Eid’) in South Asia, which alludes to the
common practice of sacrificing an animal, known as qurbani. The qurbani is generally
understood as a symbolic re-enactment of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice. In most Muslim societies
a ram or lamb is sacrificed, but other sacrificed animals may include goats, cows, and even
camels. Those who perform hajj are obliged to carry out this sacrifice at Mina, which is a few
miles east of Mecca. However, those who are not at hajj may choose not to perform an animal
sacrifice, as it is deemed by some to be fard al-kifaya.1

1
Richard C. Mar n, ‘Id al-Adha’ in The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, ed. John L. Esposito
(Oxford, 1995), p. 171.

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Pilgrims in Mecca circumambulate the Ka‘ba.

In fact, the meaning of sacrifice incorporates wider conceptions around charity and
social welfare. Indeed, many argue that the purpose and spirit of sacrifice is to distribute the
meat to those less fortunate, and to, in turn, bring communities together through acts of
kindness and sharing. Beyond this, some modern thinkers – such as the Iranian intellectual Ali
Shariati (d. 1977) – have interpreted the sacrifice allegorically as the conquering of egotistical
temptations.2 Similar ideas can be found in the verses of the great Sufi poet and mystic, Jalal
al-Din Rumi (d. 1273):

Khwahi keh tu(n) ra Ka‘ba kunad istiqbal

If you want the Ka‘ba to welcome you
Mayi wa mani ra beh Mina qurban kun
Then sacrifice I and me (i.e., your ego) at
Mina.3

Much like those who advocate the social function of sacrifice, my father was not entirely
comfortable with animal sacrifice and felt that there were other ways of offering sacrifice in
the name of God, such as helping those who are in need or giving of one’s time to serve others
in the community. Although I did not know it at the time, my mother later told me that my
father used to support many boys and girls by funding their education. Often, these students
were unaware of the source of these funds. I suppose that was his understanding of sacrifice in
the name of God. This reminded me of a saying of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq: ‘Generosity is when
the act of giving is initiated. When it is prompted by a request however, it is merely out of
a sense of embarrassment or obligation.’4
My maternal grandparents and uncles, on the other hand, had no qualms about making the
animal sacrifice. In fact, they considered it to be obligatory or wajib. Every year, a month or so
before Eid al-Adha, they would buy some goats for the sacrifice. All of us cousins used to enjoy
feeding them grass and grains. One of my uncles used to say, ‘Fatten them up boys! The bigger
the goat, the greater God’s pleasure.’ Even at that age, I did not think God was particularly
concerned about the weight or cost of the sacrificed animal. As the Qur’an tells us, ‘It is neither
their meat nor their blood that reaches God but your piety…’ (Q. 22:37).
On the actual day of Eid, a butcher would come to the house to slaughter the goats. I
happened to be there on one of these occasions to watch the sacrifice. In each case, the butcher
whispered the basmala or tasmiya (Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim, ‘In the name of God, the
Merciful, the Compassionate’) and then, with a cry of takbir, quickly slit the throat of the

2
Ebrahim Moosa, ‘Sacrifice’ in The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, ed. John L. Esposito
(Oxford, 1995), pp. 447-48.
3
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Ruba’iyat-e molana jalaluddin (khamash) (Isfahan, 1941), p. 65, verse no. 1449.
4
Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar (Tehran, 1956), vol. 21, p. 357.

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sacrificial goat. Later, the butcher skinned and chopped the animals, preparing bags of meat to
be distributed to friends and relatives. Of course, some of it was kept for the family, through
many Muslims believe that no more than a third of the sacrificial meat may be kept for
themselves and the remainder should be given to charity.5
Surprisingly, even as a child, I was not horrified by the spectacle of the sacrifice.
Perhaps this was because it was somewhat normalised in that part of the world. Of course, that
does not mean that people, including Muslims, do not ask questions about this practice of
animal sacrifice. Arguably, these debates need to take place now more than ever, particularly if
we consider the looming climate crisis and the impact of meat consumption on greenhouse gas
emissions and deforestation.
As we have seen, the Muslim conception of animal sacrifice has tended to highlight its
welfare dimension. As a result of flash freezing technology to preserve food, the sacrificial
meat, including of animals sacrificed at hajj, is used to feed disadvantaged communities around
the world. Many charitable organisations also collect the skins of the sacrificed animals and
the proceeds from the sale of these are used for charitable purposes. But the question remains:
Do millions of animals have to be slaughtered for this? For some animal rights groups, the
answer may be simple: no. However, others might argue that traditions have a place in society
and cannot be completely abandoned as sensibilities around the world shift. It is worth
highlighting that social and cultural contexts often play a significant role in how people view
this practice. For instance, in societies where animal slaughter is hardly ever seen and is
performed behind closed doors in abattoirs, most people do not consciously associate the
killing of animals with food. Therefore, when faced with the reality of animal sacrifice, it is
understandably horrifying to them.
Vegetarians and vegans, of course, often have more fundamental objections to the
consumption of meat, such as concerns about the rights of animals or the impact of the meat
industry on the environment, to name two.6 These considerations force us to question if it is
ever morally justifiable to take an animal’s life to feed ourselves. While I do not think there are
simple responses to these sorts of concerns, it is increasingly apparent that the world needs to
make substantial reductions in meat consumption to prevent the catastrophic consequences of
climate change. Muslims need to consider these questions more seriously, particularly as they
pertain to the tradition of animal sacrifice.
Among some Ismaili traditions, particularly those associated with the Nasir Khusraw
tradition, such as the Ismailis in Tajik and Afghan Badakhshan, as well as those in the Pakistani
regions of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan, animal sacrifice is also practised as part of the funerary
ritual, Chiragh-i rawshan. However, in 2009, Mawlana Hazar Imam provided guidance to the
effect that, in order not to burden bereaved families with onerous levels of material expenditure,
family members may consider alternatives to animal sacrifice, such as full day’s fast some days
after the funeral, for those who are able to, or a commitment to dedicate their time to voluntary
service.

5
Richard C. Mar n, ‘Id al-Adha’ in The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, ed. John L. Esposito
(Oxford, 1995), p. 171.
6
‘But lions eat meat!’, Vegan Future Now (website), at:
h p://www.veganfuturenow.com/answering-the-objec ons-to-veganism/#but-lions-eat-meat

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 For me, this nicely summarises the spirit of sacrifice, which is rooted in one’s niyya, or
intention. If a person’s intention is to sacrifice – in this case, for the benefit of the departed soul
– then any form of commensurate sacrifice with the same niyya may be accepted by God. As
the saying of the Prophet goes: ‘The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every
person will get the reward according to what he has intended…’7

7
al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book of the Beginning of the Revela on, Chapter 1.