Eid Al-Adha is considered the most important Muslim holiday in much of the Muslim world. Since Eid became an official feast, it has been a celebration where Muslims thank God for supplying a ram so that Abraham would not have to sacrifice his son. Muslims celebrate this through sacrificing a goat, sheep, or cow.
Qs. 37:107 says, “And we ransomed him (Abraham’s son) with a great sacrifice.” But why do Muslims sacrifice? Is it just a ritual? Sacrificing an animal is to symbolize that you are willing to sacrifice your best for God. Are you? Is it necessary to sacrifice every year?
Does Abraham’s Sacrifice Point to Isa Al-Masih?
If one looks at Abraham’s story carefully, he will see a direct correlation to Isa Al-Masih. Just as God provided a ram to be sacrificed in place of Abraham’s son, God sent Isa Al-Masih to earth to be the sacrifice in place of humankind.
Sacrifice Required as Payment for Sin
Allah teaches in the Taurat that sacrifice is the necessary payment for sin. He gave the Hebrew people strict guidelines about how to sacrifice, and what types of sacrifices were needed for what sins. But all sin required a sacrifice. And whatever was sacrificed had to be perfect. Once a year, a sacrifice was made to pay for every sin that Israel committed (Taurat, Leviticus 16).
Every person sins. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because of our sin, we deserve death. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This is why God set up the sacrificial system. By sacrificing and shedding blood, people could pay for their sin. But the problem with this is that every time a person sinned, he had to sacrifice, and every year a sacrifice had to be made for the people.
One Final Sacrifice for Sin
When Isa Al-Masih died on the cross in our place, He was the final sacrifice. No sacrifice ever has to be made again. On the cross, Isa cried “It is finished” (Injil, John 19:30). This was a financial term that literally meant “paid in full.” Isa Al-Masih paid the full price for our sin. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).
[We invite you to visit us at https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation to learn more about God’s gift of Salvation. God loves you and waits to hear from you. Isa clearly said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Injil, John 14:6) For a deeper understanding of Isa we suggest you subscribe to “Isa, Islam, and Al-Fatiha” at this link.]
SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW
We encourage our readers to comment on the article above. Comments that don’t directly relate to the topic will be removed. Please start a dialogue with us by focusing on one of the following questions:
1. Why do Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Adha?
2. Why was the sacrificial system made by God?
3. How do you know whether your sin is forgiven?
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I am a Muslim and I know that Christians believe that Christ died and was raised back to life. I want to know the day and time (am and pm) of His death and resurrection.
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Ashiq,
We know from the Injil that Isa Al-Masih died around 3 on Friday afternoon. Mark 15:33 says, “When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.” The Jews used a different clock than we do. Their clock began at 6 AM, so therefore the “sixth hour” would be 12 noon, and the “ninth hour” is 3 PM.
Mark 15:34-36 gives details of what happened after that, including Jesus crying at the “ninth hour,” so we know He was still alive at 3 PM. Verse 37 says, “And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.”
We know it was Friday because verse 42 states that “it was the day before the Sabbath.” The Jews worship on Saturday, or the Sabbath, so the day before the Sabbath, is Friday. Therefore, Jesus died on Friday.
Mark 16:1-2 states, “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, …very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.”
We know from this verse that the women went to the tomb on Sunday because it was the first day of the week and because it says “when the sabbath was over.”
When the women got to the tomb, they only found an angel, who told them Jesus was alive! So we know from these verses that Jesus was already alive right after the sun came up on Sunday morning.
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I can’t agree that God differentiated humans and other living creatures and considered human life as greater than that of animals and that human sacrifice can be avoided with a sacrifice of a Goat(Bakra). It’s because in my opinion, God has created every thing for enjoyment by humans, but before Him every living creature is equal. Please explain this to me where I am wrong.
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Vittalandand,
You are right that human life is greater than animals. Yet, God set up a sacrificial system to pay for sin’s penalty. And this symbolized what would happened in the future. The animal sacrifice pointed to Isa’s sacrifice on the cross. He replaced the animal sacrifice which was done during the time of Taurat, by dying on the cross once and for all. Therefore, since then, there is no need anymore to sacrifice animals. Why? He has paid once and for all! One only needs to receive and believe in what Isa has done. To get better explanation on this, please go to: https://www.isaandislam.com/Way-of-Salvation/.
Aila
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Father Abraham (Ibrahim) committed a sin. Ok. But why did God demand that his son be sacrificed for the sin committed by the father? And why did the Almighty consider as a concession to sacrifice a goat in his place? For the Almighty, are not man and beast both His creation and equal in His eyes?
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Vittalanand,
God promised him biological son and Abraham was waiting for it for about hundred years. And God, He fulfilled His promised. As his son grew older, God tested Abraham’s heart whether he still worshiped Him or made his son as his idol. Yet, He obeyed God, and God saw his truly heart that Abraham put God above everything else, even though his own precious son.
Furthermore, “sacrifice” means the offering of something or the life of an animal as an act of a worship. God required animals as the sacrifice. It’s because the animals could shed the blood which is the symbol of the living creature. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Taurat, Leviticus 17:11).
It’s God himself who set up the animal sacrifice system, as a foreshadow of the perfect sacrifice of Isa Al-Masih. However, when God did this, it’s for the sin’s penalty of the world. Not for Him. Because God didn’t sin.
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You seem to refer the Holy Bible on all of your quotes.
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Dear Dickson Jere,
Thank you for your comment. You are right that most of the quotes are from the Holy Book. It’s because the Bible teaches the complete story of the Sacrifice. Everyone must get the full knowledge about the Sacrifice through the Holy Bible.
Thank you.
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It is Allah who saved us from sacrificing our sons. It will be very much difficult for us, the people of present era.
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Dear Ahmad Ali,
Thank you for your comment. Yet, I don’t really understand it. What do you mean by “our sons?” And what do you mean by your last statement that “It will be very much difficult for us, the people of present era.” What does it refer to?
Thank you.
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Miss Aila,
If you learn something, for example “Islam”, you learn it with neutral and in depth research. Eid-al-Adha doesn’t not have any relationship with the sacrifice in cross, except for one thing.
In Abraham/Ibrahim’s time, a lot of people sacrificed their son/daughter to their gods to get attention. It happens to us now. That is really stupid mistake. ALLAH, the only one true God, taught us to sacrifice your lovely one. For example if I have a beautiful horse which already mates and reproduces, then sacrifice that horse. Then eat that healthy and delicious meat and share it to your brother and sister. Then God will give more attention into you.
Just as the same when God told Isa the Messiah. There must be any sacrifice from a human being to be crucified on the cross. The servant of God/Allah must obey. Do not let our ego control us.
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I appreciate your comment. Yet, the Taurat which existed before the Quran explained more than the Quran did. At one side, God wanted to test Ibrahim’s heart whether he still loved God more than anything else. On the other side God wanted to show that He provided His own chosen ram to be sacrificed which pointed to Isa Al-Masih’s sacrifice. The reference mentioned in the article will explain more to you.
However, if you have any Quranic references about Ibrahim that can support your comment, please do. Or Hadiths?
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Qs 5:75 said that the Messiah [(Jesus)], son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother [Maryam (Mary)] was a Siddiqah [i.e. she believed in the words of Allah and His Books (see Verse 66:12)]. They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allah does not eat). Look how We make the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear to them, yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth).
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The Quran can’t prove whether it is really from God. This is the main problem. In fact, through so many witnesses during Isa’s time, they said that Isa is God’s Word. He is God (Injil, John 1). What really matters is there is clear evidence that Isa Al-Masih is indeed God. One proof of Isa Al-Masih’s deity is found in John. Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (Injil, John 11:25). Isa Al-Masih’s offer of eternal life is conditional on faith in Himself. If anyone but God said this it would be blasphemy. Get more explanation through this link: https://www.isaandislam.com/isa-al-masih/nowhere-does-isa-al-masih-say-i-am-god-worship-me.html.
Blessings.