Problems related to Sacrifice

How is the sacrifice accepted in the presence of Allah Ta’ala?

A sacrifice is a great act of worship, and the beauty of worship lies in its acceptance in the presence of Allah Ta’ala, where the worshiper becomes enriched with its rewards and blessings. Therefore, every Muslim should strive and be concerned about whether their worship is accepted by Allah Ta’ala or not. There should be no mistakes or deficiencies that hinder the acceptance of their worship. It is the responsibility of each individual to assess this. It would be a great loss if a person spends their whole life offering sacrifices but fails to have them accepted in the presence of Allah Ta’ala, and as a result, they are deprived of rewards and blessings in the hereafter. May Allah Ta’ala protect every Muslim from such deprivation.

Three fundamental conditions for the acceptance of the sacrifice

Remember that there are three conditions for the acceptance of any worship, including sacrifice, in the presence of Allah Ta’ala:

1. The worship must be accompanied by faith. This is the reason why any worship performed by a non-Muslim is not accepted in the presence of Allah Ta’ala. However, Allah Ta’ala rewards good deeds in this world, but they hold no value in the hereafter.
2. The worship must be in accordance with the teachings of the Shari’ah (Islamic law). That which does not conform to the teachings of the Shari’ah is never acceptable to Allah Ta’ala. It is important to acquire accurate knowledge about worship before performing it. Only after obtaining accurate knowledge can worship be performed according to the teachings of the Shari’ah.
3. The worship must be performed with sincerity. When acts are done for show or pretence, they are not accepted by Allah Ta’ala.

These three factors are essential for the acceptance of any worship. If any of these factors are missing, the worship will not be accepted, and it may not even be considered valid worship. Today, our problem is that we do not consider these factors when performing worship, which results in a wasted life. However, we also lack the ability to perform worship correctly. For example, offering voluntary prayers is a great act of virtue and a means of drawing closer to Allah Ta’ala, but if someone performs these voluntary prayers during disliked times, they will not receive any reward; instead, they will accumulate sins. Offering voluntary prayers during disliked times is not permissible. It seems as if virtue turns into sin when performed contrary to the teachings of the Shari’ah. Thus, it is important to realize that goodness does not exist everywhere; rather, it becomes a virtue when it is done in accordance with the teachings of the Shari’ah and with sincerity!

The same applies to the great act of sacrifice. Many people do not learn its requirements and necessary conditions, resulting in incorrect sacrifices. Many people are unaware of the conditions and essential qualities of the sacrificial animal. Many people are unfamiliar with the issues related to slaughtering animals and distributing their meat. Likewise, many people commit major sins, such as showing off and ostentation, which corrupt the act of sacrifice. They bring expensive and flashy animals to showcase their reputation and fame. As a result, their sacrifice is not accepted in the presence of Allah Ta’ala. This entire situation is highly amendable and worthy of consideration. Every Muslim should deeply reflect upon it.

Summary:

The key points for the acceptance of sacrifice are as follows:

1. It is necessary to learn and understand all the essential aspects related to sacrifice and then perform it accordingly. Remember, without proper knowledge and understanding, correct implementation is not possible.
2. It is important to have the right intention for sacrifice, solely seeking the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala. There should be no element of show-off or ostentation involved.

Quranic verses and their explanations

Tafsir al-Razi

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَٱلْحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفُورُ (67:2)

اَلْمَسْأَلَةُ السَّادِسَةُ: ذَكَرُوا فِي تَفْسِيرِ ﴿أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا﴾ وُجُوْهًا: أَحَدُهَا: أَنْ يَكُونَ أَخْلَصَ الْأَعْمَالِ وَأَصْوَبَهَا؛ لِأَنَّ الْعَمَلَ إِذَا كَانَ خَالِصًا غَيْرَ صَوَابٍ: لَمْ يُقْبَلْ، وَكَذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ صَوَابًا غَيْرَ خَالِصٍ، فَالْخَالِصُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِوَجْهِ اللهِ، وَالصَّوَابُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى السُّنَّةِ.

Tafsir Abi al-Sa’ud

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (16:97)

﴿مَنْ عَمِلَ صٰلِحًا﴾ أي عملًا صالحًا أيَّ عملٍ كان. وهذا شروعٌ في تحريض كافةِ المؤمنين على كل عملٍ صالح غِبَّ ترغيبِ طائفةٍ منهم في الثبات على ما هم عليه من عمل صالحٍ مخصوصٍ دفعًا لتوهم اختصاصِ الأجر الموفورِ بهم وبعملهم المذكور. وقولُه تعالى: ﴿مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثٰى﴾ مبالغةٌ في شموله للكل، ﴿وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ﴾ قيّده به؛ إذ لا اعتدادَ بأعمال الكفرة في استحقاق الثواب أو تخفيفِ العذاب؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلىٰ مَا عَمِلُوْا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَٰهُ هَبَآءً مَّنْثُوْرًا﴾. وإيثارُ إيرادِه بالجملة الاسمية الحالية على نظمه في سلك الصلةِ لإفادة وجوبِ دوامه ومقارنتِه للعمل الصالح…)

 Tafsir Ibn Kathir

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (16:97)

هذا وعد من الله تعالى لمن عمل صالحا -وهو العمل المتابع لكتاب الله تعالى وسنة نبيه من ذكر أو أنثى من بني آدم، وقلبه مؤمن بالله ورسوله، وإن هذا العمل المأمور به مشروع من عند الله- بأن يحييه الله حياة طيبة في الدنيا وأن يجزيه بأحسن ما عمله في الدار الآخرة. والحياة الطيبة تشمل وجوه الراحة من أيّ جهة كانت.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالى: ﴿وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلىٰ مَا عَمِلُوْا مِنْ عَمَلٍ﴾ الآية، هذا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حِينَ يُحَاسِبُ اللهُ الْعِبَادَ عَلَى ما عملوه من الخير والشر، فأخبر أنه لَا يحصل لِهٰؤُلَاءِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ الَّتِي ظَنُّوا أَنَّهَا مَنْجَاةٌ لَهُمْ شَيْءٌ، وَذلِكَ؛ لِأَنَّهَا فَقَدَتِ الشَّرْطَ الشَّرْعِيَّ: إِمَّا الْإِخْلَاصُ فِيهَا وَإِمَّا الْمُتَابَعَةُ لِشَرْعِ اللهِ. فَكُلُّ عَمَلٍ لَا يَكُونُ خَالِصًا وَعَلَى الشَّرِيعَةِ الْمَرْضِيَّةِ فَهُوَ بَاطِلٌ، فَأَعْمَالُ الْكُفَّارِ لَا تَخْلُو مِنْ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ هٰذَيْنَ، وَقَدْ تَجْمَعُهُمَا مَعًا فَتَكُونُ أَبْعَدَ مِنَ الْقَبُولِ حِينَئِذٍ

Therefore, it is essential for every Muslim to contemplate on all of these matters.

مسائلِ قربانی