In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Beyond Festivities: Understanding the Message

of BAKRID

T he festival of sacrifice - known popularly as Bakrid - is celebrated in commemoration of the great

sacrifice of Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him), an exemplary man who lived 5, 000 years ago.
Abraham was an intelligent, upright and rationally thinking man. He could not tolerate the
superstitious practices of the society in which he was born. His father himself was a chief priest
manufacturing and selling idols.

Says the Holy Qurán:

“And recite to them news of Abraham, when he said to his father and people, ‘What do you
worship?’ They said, ‘We worship idols and remain to them devoted.’ He said, ‘Do they
hear you supplicate? Or do they benefit you, or do they harm?’ They said, ‘But we found
our fathers doing this.’” (Qurán 26: 69-75)

Abraham could not accept their answer. He wisely called upon them to reason.

“So when the night covered him, he saw a star. He said, ‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set,
he said, ‘I like not those that set.’ And when he saw the moon rising, he said, ‘This is my
Lord.’ But when it set, he said, ‘Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the
people gone astray.’ And when saw the sun rising he said, ‘This is my lord; this is greater.’
But when it set, he said, ‘O my people! Indeed, I am free from what you associate with
Allah. 1’” (Qurán 6: 76-78)

Abraham openly declared before the worshippers of idols, celestial bodies and false gods that he is not
with them.

“‘Indeed, I have turned my face toward Him who created the heavens and the earth,
inclining towards truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah.’” (Qurán 6:
79)

“[He said]: ‘Do you observe that which you and your forefathers have been worshipping?
Indeed, they are enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds, Who created me, and He [it
is who] guides me. And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink. And when I am ill, it is He
who cures me.’” (Qurán 26: 76-81)

Abraham was chosen by Almighty God as His messenger. Like all other messengers of God, he also
struggled hard to re-establish DHARMA. That is to call back people to worship the Creator and
Sustainer of the Universe. The greatest ADHARMA is to worship anything other than Him. In the
sight of God Almighty the act of associating or attributing partners to Him or worshipping any of His
creations is the greatest sin.

“Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great injustice.” (Qurán 31: 13)

The Qur’an also warns this as an unforgivable sin and those who commit this will be eternally in Hell-
fire. This is the evil which deforms the concept of real God in human mind and thus makes man
fearless to commit sins. Further it divides humanity on the basis of the deity which they worship. This
evil is the root cause of the caste-system, untouchability, inequality, exploitation, priesthood and other
social evils. In spite of the opposition from his own father and his society, Abraham fought single-
handedly against his superstitious society and called them to worship the Creator: In the process he
was forced to face several trials and hardships. He was expelled by his father from his home. As
1
Allah is not the personal god of Muslims or an Arabian tribal god as widely misunderstood. In
Arabic language it is the proper name of God Almighty, Who is the Creator and Sustainer of
the Universe.

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Abraham took a firm stand against the worshipping of idols, his father and people together punished
him by casting him into a big fire. But God Almighty saved him by His miracle. God ordered:

“O fire! Be you cool and safe for Abraham.” (Qurán 21: 69)

Later, Abraham was summoned by the ruler Namrud who had proclaimed god-hood for himself fearing
challenge from him. The Qur’an mentions this confrontation thus:

“Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord [merely]
because Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham said, "My Lord is the one who gives
life and causes death," he said, "I give life and cause death." Abraham said, "Indeed, Allah
brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west." So the disbeliever was
overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”
(Qur’an 2: 258)

In spite of all these incidents, there was no significant response to Abraham’s call to worship the
Creator. He was forced to emigrate along with his few followers. In later life, Abraham and his family
had to undergo several more tests from the Almighty God, for God wished to test the limits of his
patient obedience to His commands.

Abraham was asked by God to leave his wife Hajira and suckling son Ishmael in the barren valley at
Mecca, where the Ka’aba stands today. At the time that Abraham was asked to do so, there were
neither people nor water in that barren land. As they passed the test of patience, God gifted them a
well called as zamzam, from which the water flows continuously till now. Next Abraham was asked by
God to sacrifice his beloved son. In the Qur’an God mentions:

“And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, ‘O my son, indeed I have
seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.’ He said, ‘O my father,
do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.’ And when they
had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, We called to him, ‘O Abraham,
You have fulfilled the vision.’ Indeed, we thus reward the doers of good.” (Qurán 37: 102-
105)

As they successfully passed this test, God Almighty asked him to sacrifice a ram instead. This great
sacrifice of father willing to slaughter his own son is being remembered every year on the day of
Eid-ul-Adha(Bakrid) otherwise known as festival of sacrifice.

There is a great lesson for mankind in this sacrifice

We all know that the present life on this earth is temporary. One day this whole world will be destroyed
completely by God Almighty. He will resurrect all human beings right from the first to the last man who
inhabited this earth. Following this, all of them will be brought before God Almighty for judgment of
their deeds on earth. Everyone will be shown their good and bad deeds. Based on the volume of their
deeds they will be sent to Paradise for everlasting happiness or sent to Hell for undergoing punishment
eternally.

Thus, the present short life is a test which decides our future and eternal abode. Every one of us is
given different situations and tested. For example, some are born blind, some with good facilities,
some as poor, some as rich, some in a hut and some in a luxurious mansion etc. Our body, wealth,
health, relatives and similar other possessions are temporarily given to us as a trust for a certain
unknown period. We are not their real owners. The real Owner is God Almighty and He has the right
to withdraw them at any point of time. Whatever may be our level of attachment to these possessions,
we must be ready to part with them whenever He desires. Indeed, He may suddenly withdraw them by
way of His putting us to the test.

In the Qurán, God says:

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and
lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say,
‘Indeed we belong to Allah and, indeed, to Him we will return.’ Those are the ones upon
whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly]
guided.” (Qurán 2: 155-157)

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Prophet Abraham had undergone the highest forms of such tests. To understand the gravity of the
same, just imagine yourself in his place! What would be your reaction if you get such an order from
God? Or how would you feel if some one snatches your kid and runs away with him/ her? Or at the
sudden death of your mother? You would scarcely bear it, right? But here, Abraham comes forward to
slaughter his own son by his own hand! What a sacrifice! What an exemplary act of total obedience to
the Creator! It is only normal that in most cases, love, attachments and emotions over-rule human
behavior. But Abraham showed mankind that obedience to our Master should come before all other
considerations.

Every year, on the occasion of Bakrid, we are reminded of this great lesson. As a small act of sacrifice
we are asked by God, in keeping with one’s financial condition, to slaughter an animal on this day. The
meat of the slain animal is shared with relatives and the poor in society. Here again, our preparedness
to sacrifice for our Creator and Sustainer is being tested as He says in the Qurán:

“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from
you…” (Qurán 22: 37)

Some Doubts and Clarifications

Q: Why should the sacrifice be repeated every year and everywhere? Is not the taking of a
life a sin?

A: The word ‘Islam’ means ‘obedience to God’ and ‘Muslim’ means ‘one who is obedient to God.’ The
present life is a test in which this obedience of man is tested. Those who pass this test will enter
paradise and those who fail in this test will enter hell in the Hereafter. So we have to obey our
Creator’s commandments in this world if we are serious about achieving salvation. We have to do
whatever our Master has commanded and we have to keep away from deeds which He has prohibited.

The main reason for our sacrificing an animal is the command of the Creator – both ours and the
animals - to do so. Here if we perform it we are committing a good deed and if we do not we are
committing a sin. The intention behind the act of sacrifice lies in the test of man’s piety as mentioned
in the verse quoted above (22:37). This act will enhance the spirit of sacrifice in us and prepare us to
bear sudden losses in life, property etc. Sacrificing animals is not a new practice but has been ordained
by God through His messengers and Books sent earlier to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as told in the
Qurán:

“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.”
(Qurán 22: 34)

Q: Is not the taking of a life a sin?

A: The following points may clear the doubt:

1. Which act is a sin? And which is not? Human beings or any group of human beings cannot
decide for themselves as to what does, and does not, constitute a sin since they do not
possess the ultimate knowledge of everything. Even if they decide what and what not are sins,
their decisions will be influenced by emotions, selfishness, etc. Something good for someone
might be bad for others. Whereas God Almighty to whom belongs the universe and all that it
contains, is Omnipotent. He knows ultimately what is good and what is bad for His creations.
Further, He is going to judge our deeds on the Day of Judgment. Whatever He commands us to
do are good deeds and whatever He prohibits us from are bad deeds, for He is the highest
Authority.

2. God Almighty has revealed to us what is good and what is bad through His Messengers (Rishis)
and the Holy books (Vedas) sent through them from time to time. All His Holy Books prohibit
killing of life unjustly. The last and final version of His holy books is the Qur’an which say this:
“Do not take life, which Allah has made holy except for just (and true) cause...”
(Qur’an 17:33). But killing of animals for the sake of food is allowed in all His Holy Books.

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3. Manusmriti, which is considered a holy book by Hindu brethren says: “The diner, if he is a
meat consumer, the meat does not harm him, even if he consumes every day.
Because it is God who has created some creatures for eating and some as food.”
(Manusmriti 5:30)

“Consuming meat is also considered as sacrifice. This is known traditionally as

Commandment of God.” (Manusmriti 5:31)

“God has created certain cattle for sacrifice. So slaughtering cattle for sacrificing
will not be considered as killing of the cattle. (Manusmriti 5: 39, 4)

Plenty of such references are found in other Hindu Holy scriptures. A few are given
below.
Rig Veda: (VIII 42. 1), (X 91. 14.6), (1. 114.101), (5. 29-7), Atharva Veda (X.11. 1.48)

4. However big or small, visible or invisible the forms of life, all are to be treated alike. Elephant,
cow cat, flies, birds, mosquito, bacteria, germs and so on... All of them carry life. To protect
only the big and visible ones and to ignore the small and invisible ones is not an act of justice.
We have to equally feel pain when we drink as each drop of water contains millions of bacteria.
Lakhs of silk worms are killed for the silk industry. Can we stop all this?

5. Today, it has been scientifically proved that plants are living beings which see, hear and smell.
They even have emotions. If we conclude that killing of life is sin, where can we go for food?

6. In nature, God has created, distributed and perfected every creation in the right proportion.
The Qurán says:

“Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High, Who created and proportioned; And
who destined and [then] guided.” (Qurán 87: 1–3)

Manu says, “The law of nature is that the stronger living beings eat the weaker
ones. So it is natural to eat meat.”

“God has created moving and unmoving creatures for the purpose of food.
Unmoving living beings form the food for moving ones. Toothless creatures are food
for the toothed ones. Armless beings are food for the armed ones. Innocent
creatures are food for cruel ones.” (Manusmriti V.15)

7. Tempted by our emotions and shortsightedness if we tamper or disturb the ecological balance
set by our omniscient Creator, the consequences will be extremely disastrous. Let’s see a few
examples:

a. If the rapid growth of population of rats is not curtailed by snakes and reptiles which
feed on them, it will lead to drastic scarcity of food grains and spread of epidemic
diseases.

b. If deers in jungles were not hunted down by wild animals which feed on them, with the
unchecked growth of their population, the plants and trees will be consumed rapidly by
them. Thus, the jungles will vanish which leads, in turn, to loss of rain.

c. A minimum of 3, 84, 000 animals are slaughtered all over the world every day. If the
slaughtering is suspended for one month the number of animals for which we have to
feed will be 1, 15, 20, 000. The food requirement for them will be 34, 50, 00, 000
Kilograms per month. In the process of meeting this demand for food, the existing
foodgrains, plants and trees will vanish fast. This further stops the rain and the whole
earth will become a desert within six months.

8. By stopping the killing of animals for food, can we afford to lose the following?

a. In beef export, India occupies eighth place in the world.

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 b. By export of leather, foreign exchange earned is Rs. 3, 160 crores and the number of
people employed in this industry is 13.5 lakhs.

c. By export of fish and fish products, exchange earned is Rs. 6, 308 crores.

d. In silk production, India occupies third place. A lakh of people are employed in this
industry. The benefits as well as job opportunities that arise out of such industries are
too numerous to be ignored. Further, can we really forego by-products like belts,
shoes, bags, purses, detergents, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, tar, heart valves,
insulin, pepsin, surgical sutures, medical capsules, glue, fertilizers and so on?

9. The vitamins (particularly B12) proteins, minerals and other nutrients required for efficient
function and stamina of human body are very meager in vegetarian food. Manual workers,
farmers and others who exert physically cannot work long hours if they only take vegetarian
food.

10. The human body is so designed by God that it can consume and digest meat. Like herbivorous
animals, man is equipped with flat teeth, and like carnivorous animals he also has canine
teeth. Our digestive system is also equipped to digest meat.

Those who find faults with the ecological order set by the ultimate wisdom of the Creator and tamper
with it are warned by the Creator thus:

“Do no mischief on earth, after it has been set in order…” (Qurán 7: 56)

“… and those who cause mischief in the land, upon them is curse and a evil home (i. e.
Hell) is for them.” (Qurán 13: 25)

The Creator and Master of this universe also warns those who ban things which are made lawful by
Him:

“And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, ‘This is lawful and this is
unlawful,’ to invent falsehood about Allah. Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allah
will not succeed. [It is but] a brief enjoyment, and they will have a painful punishment.”
(Qurán 16: 116, 117)

On this great occasion let us all come together to understand and practice the real message of Bakrid,
that is sacrifice, patience and obedience to our Creator.

For more information and complementary literature on Islam contact:

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