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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.
*
Professor of Islamic creed
and philosophy at Al-Azhar University |
