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Of
the rituals of Islam that should be held in high respect and adhered
to by righteous Muslims is the offering of hadi and udhiyah.
Hadi
refers to the sacrificial animals that pilgrims offer for Allah’s
sake in the Sacred Mosque. Udhiyah refers to the sacrificial animals
that non-pilgrim Muslims may offer, seeking Allah’s pleasure during
the days of `Eid Al-Adha.
Udhiyah
is given this name because it is offered in duha, which is
“morning” in Arabic.
Udhiyah
is, in fact, offered in memory of the great sacrifice that Prophet
Ibrahim and his son Prophet Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon both
of them) agreed to offer for Allah’s sake—when Ibrahim was ordered
in a vision to offer his son in sacrifice for Allah’s sake, and
Isma`il promptly consented. But Almighty Allah spared them the
sacrifice and sent them a great animal to sacrifice instead. This is
referred to in Almighty Allah’s words,
[And We ransomed him with a
momentous sacrifice] (As-Saffat 37:107).
The
sacrice of hadi and udhiyah is a ritual practiced in all the Heavenly
messages. Almighty Allah says in this regard,
[And
for every nation have We appointed a ritual, that they may mention the
name of Allah over the beast of cattle that He hath given them for
food; and your god is One God, therefore, surrender unto Him. And give
good tidings (O Muhammad) to the humble] (Al-Hajj 22:34).
Allah
Almighty has specified a certain time for offering hadi and udhiyah,
namely, on the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah and the three days (called days of
Tashriq) that follow it. Allah Almighty says,
[That they may witness
things that are of benefit to them, and mention the name of Allah on
appointed days over the beast of cattle that He hath bestowed upon
them. Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor unfortunate]
(Al-Hajj 22:28).
Offering
udhiyah on `Eid Al-Adha is parallel to paying zakat al-fitr at the end
of Ramadan. Both, basically, mean to help the poor and needy and make
them content on these blessed occasions. It was reported that once,
during the Prophet’s lifetime, the Muslims faced financial straits.
It was then the time of `Eid Al-Adha. So the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) ordered that whoever has slaughtered a
sacrifice should not keep anything of its meat more than three days.
When it was the next year the people said, “O Allah’s Messenger!
Shall we do as we did last year?” He (peace and blessings be upon
him) said, “Eat of it, and feed of it to others, and store of it,
for in that year (the last year) the people were having a hard time
and I wanted you to help (the needy).”
On
paying zakah, sacrificing animals, or performing any other duty or act
of Sunnah that requires spending money, Muslims are to do it for
Allah’s sake, without showing off or humiliating the poor.
Almighty
Allah says,
[It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah:
it is your piety that reaches Him] (Al-Hajj 22:37).
People’s
wealth is, in fact, Allah’s, and He Most High has made them
vicegerents of Him with regard to spending it. Hence, rich people are
required to spend of Allah’s wealth on Allah’s creation.
The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also commanded that one who
has an extra mount, to give it to one who has no mount, and he who has
surplus of provisions, to give them to he who has no provisions. He
made mention of so many kinds of wealth until the companions thought
that none of them had any right over the surplus.
It
is that amount of money given as sadaqah (voluntary charity) that is
of real and permanent benefit for one, while temporary and deceptive
is the advantage of all that money one spends on getting worldly
pleasures and luxuries.
Mind
the eloquent metaphor the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
used in the following hadith to convey the very idea I have just
referred to. `A’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be
pleased with her) reported that once they slaughtered a she-goat.
After distributing most of its meat among people, the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) said, “What is leftover from the
she-goat?” `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) answered,
“Only the shoulder.” He (peace and blessings be upon him)
commented, “What is, in fact, leftover is the whole of the she-goat
but the shoulder.”
Contemplate
what these eloquent words indicate: the Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) meant that what was distributed of the she-goat among the
poor was the benefit that they really got from this deed, for Allah
Almighty would reward them greatly for it; while from eating the
shoulder of the she-goat there would be no more reward than a
temporary nourishment of the body.
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Professor of Islamic creed and philosophy at Al-Azhar University
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