Sunday, January 27, 2008

Why God Ordered Abraham To Sacrifice His Son.

37:99 He said (Abraham): "I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me! وَقَالَ إِنِّي ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ37:100 "O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!"رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ37:101 So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِيمٍ37:102 Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!"فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاء اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ37:103 So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah., and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ37:104 We called out to him "O Abraham!وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَنْ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ37:105 "Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right.قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ37:106 For this was obviously a trial- إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاء الْمُبِينُ37:107 And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ37:108 And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ37:109 "Peace and salutation to Abraham!" سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَIn the above verses Abraham was ordered by God to sacrifice his son. In this story we learn many things about the Abrahamic religion:1- How God put Abraham as a human in a very high place. He was like a close friend to him. His obedience to sacrifice his own son for God put him in this high place. Any one of us would likely try to get out of this tremendous test. He may allege the vision is from Satan. But Abraham would submit to God even for the son he was eager to have at old age. He did not send an angel for the order of sacrifice to test Abraham more but when he sent him the animal sacrifice.2- God do not want us to sacrifice humans for him as the pagans do but animals.3- The animal sacrifice serve many religious functions: Gathering people for a religious feast. Mention God's name and praising his blessings to our father Abraham for his obedience and to us. Sharing food with families and feeding the poor. When we finish sacrifice we go on with our lives like Abraham and be righteous and fearful of God.4- Thus humans can be as close to God as Abraham was and as far as his first enemy Satan is.