Hajj is about throwing off the shackles of laziness and convenience, sacrificing these and submitting to what truly matters. It teaches us the importance of prioritising Allah before our own selves. From Mina to Muzdalifah, sleeping in tents, walking in sandals, standing in ‘Arafat, shaving or trimming one’s hair, and casting pebbles at the Jamarat; Hajj teaches the pilgrim humility, sacrifice, and complete submission to Allah. Hajj trains the pilgrim to remain in constant motion, prioritising spiritual refinement over physical comfort, and responding to Allah’s call before the whispers of the ego and the pull of worldly desires.,

The famous poem of Abu al-Fath al-Busti draws attention to the virtue of caring for the soul and inner self, rather than being consumed solely with the physical body.

أتطــلب الربح مما فيه خسـران؟
 O servant of the body, how hard you strive in serving it,

يا خادم الجسم كم تسعى لخدمته
Seeking profit in that which contains loss!

 أقبل على النفس٬ واستكمل فضائلها 
Turn instead to the soul and perfect its virtues,

فأنت بالنفس - لا بالجسم - إنسان
For you are human by the soul, not by the body.

This is what I need to remind myself with. May Allah accept our sacrifice and  guide us to true submission. Amen 

Every Eid al-Adha, ever since I was young, when I watch the sacrificial animals being slaughtered, a quiet thought comes to my heart: perhaps the knife is not merely meant to pass over their necks but over our own nafs. To slaughter the ego, humble our pride, restrain the urge to show off or seek praise, control our desires, and cut away things within us that distance us from ALLAH (s.w.t).

I realized that each year, this timeless ritual returns, like a mirror reflecting our true origin, reminding us of who we are, who we should strive to be, and the path we are meant to follow. It is truly a moment for deep reflection and an opportunity to purify our hearts. Reflect on the tests Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) endured. What were they for? So that the heart could be purified and submit entirely to ALLAH (s.w.t.). Today, we continue to live his (a.s.) legacy, following in his footsteps and emulating his unwavering submission to ALLAH s.w.t.

If we have never felt this before, I pray that this Eid-ul-Adha becomes that awakening, an invitation to look within and recognize the sacred struggle of ourselves.

May Allah grant us true taqwa, sincere submission to Him alone, and the strength to sacrifice anything within ourselves that harms our relationship with Him. Aameen.

#SubmissionAndSacrifice  
#sacrifice   
#Qurbani  
#Eid_ul_Adha  
#Surah_Hajj  
#Dhulhijjah  

Rayaan Shafi Alhamdulillah. Jazakillahu khairan kaseeran brother. 

Bismillah 

What does it mean to sacrifice?

Every year, when Dhul Hijjah comes, the word Qurbani echoes in our homes and hearts. We think of the animal, the ritual, the meat shared and distributed. But I’ve come to realise that the true meaning of sacrifice goes deeper—it’s not just about what we give, but what we are willing to give up for Allah.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

'It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but what reaches Him is your piety (taqwa).'
(Surah Al-Hajj 22:37)

This verse reminded me that the real offering isn’t physical—it’s spiritual. The sincerity. The surrender. The inner willingness to prioritise Allah over our own desires.

This Dhul Hijjah, I tried to offer parts of myself that needed to change.

I tried to sacrifice my comfort. 
Waking for Fajr to pray. Pushing through my tiredness to make dhikr. Choosing solitude with the Qur’an instead of noise and distraction. 

I tried to sacrifice my ego.
The urge to be right. The reluctance to admit fault. The pride that makes me slow to forgive. These are harder to slay than any animal. But I remembered the story of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)—the father of submission.

Allah describes his trial beautifully:
'So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing son. 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 patient.’'
(Surah As-Saffat 37:101–102)

There it is—submission from both the father and the son. Willingness to obey even when the command is incomprehensible. That’s the level of trust I ask Allah to place in my heart.

This Dhul Hijjah, I also tried to sacrifice delay. 
The tendency to say, 'Later I’ll change. Later I’ll return.' But Allah tells us:

'And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous.'
(Surah Aal Imran 3:133)

There’s urgency in that verse. A call not to wait. Because the gates of mercy are open now. And these sacred days—these are days to run back to Allah, not walk.

Because in the end, sacrifice is not about what we lose—it’s about what we gain by letting go.

May Allah accept from us, as He accepted from Ibrahim. Ameen

Islam is not just about following rules, and it's not just our fasts and the prayers that Allah looks at, but rather it is the sincerity that reaches Allah, as Allah says:


‎لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ


'It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is the piety (taqwa) from you that reaches Him.' (22:37)


Shaykh Abdur-Rahman As-Sa'di writes in his tafseer that 'The aim of the sacrifice is not merely to slaughter the animals, for nothing of their flesh or blood reaches Allah, because He is the Self-Sufficient, Most Praiseworthy. Rather what reaches Him is sincerity in the deed, seeking of His reward, and good intention.'


And he states, 'The same applies to all acts of worship: if they are not accompanied by sincerity and fear of Allah, then they are merely empty shells, like a body without a soul.'


To prove this even further, let's recall a few stories from the Quran.


When two of Adam's (pbuh) sons, Habil and Qabil, each performed a sacrifice, one's sacrifice was accepted but the other's sacrifice wasn't. What was the reason for that? As one son told the other son (whose sacrifice wasn't accepted):


‎إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ


'Verily, Allah only accepts from the God-conscious (al-mutaqoon).' (5:27)


When Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) laid down his son for sacrifice, Allah called out to him, 'O Ibrahim! You have already fulfilled the vision. Indeed, this is how We reward the good-doers' (37:104-105). Why? Because it is his sincerity and his taqwa that reached Allah; he didn't actually even have to truly carry out the sacrifice.


Likewise, we can say that it is not our hunger during the month of Ramadan that reaches Allah, but rather it is the taqwa in our hearts that reaches Him, because that is the goal of fasting.


#TaqwaReminders

How easy the Rab has made Deen for us. We can be enjoying all those delicious meals, the juicy fruits and those savory veggies, but all He needs is that we can be appraiser of his blessings by saying just a few words of Alhamdullilah. The belief of His highness, the belief to worship our such a gracious Rab, and to worship our Allah alone is how He wants to return the countless favors.

JazakAllah khair for these insightful notice.!


The distinguishing feature of Islam is Taqwa, which sets us apart from other nations and upholds our highest standard. The distinction between our sacrificial and fasting endeavors
and those of the polytheists is Taqwa, it's as if Allah has laid out this highest standard and chose us for this superior cause.  what an honor!  

In essence, Allah has bestowed upon us the gift of Taqwa, which serves as a paradigmatic framework, safeguarding our sacrifices and strivings from the futility and waywardness that characterizes the endeavors of the polytheists, and instead, channeling them towards a trajectory of spiritual growth, moral excellence, and enduring rewards in both this world and the next.
May Allah enable us to fully conform to the standard He has established for us and to steadfastly maintain it, thereby exemplifying the pinnacle of righteousness and spiritual excellence.
Eid Mubarak QR family❣️


JazakAllah khyr for your kind words brother Basit!

How we ruin our sacrifices

1. We really don’t know or rarely reflect upon the definition of sacrifice, what are the aspects that qualifies a sacrifice as a real one. 

2. Oftentimes we do sacrifice (what we love for the ones we love) when there is no other options left.  So we do it unintentionally.

3. We start boasting upon the fact that we sacrificed. Even worse , we remind the other person about our sacrifices again and again.

4. Instead of knowing that, it’s ok to feel bad about giving up something we love, for someone else and giving meaning to our bad feelings; we try to make ourselves feel better by boasting around and asking for a return.

5. Oftentimes we miss the spiritual link of this. We rarely count it ( sacrifice for our loved ones) as a sacrifice for Allah. We think we sacrifice animals on Eid ul Adha for Allah and that’s it. But the animals are just symbols to teach and remind us the value of sacrifice in our everyday life.

May Allah accept our sacrifices, even with the faults in it by His grace and make ourselves understand the core value of it. Ameen.

😭 what an insightful reminder, Jazaak Allah khair! 

ya Rab, make us of those who sacrifice sincerely to please you alone and are immensely grateful to you for the opportunity to sacrifice for your sake. Ameen 

These verses all focus on the reality of tazkiya or purification of the hearts. All the 'actions' mentioned in these verses, from praying, donating, and even butchering an animal and feeding the poor can happen in the absence of a pure heart. But then the element of what really matters in Allah's eyes, ie the 'piety that reaches Him' is absent.  It is not about praying and giving, but rather prayer and charity. It's not about the butchering of animals but it is about the sacrifice. A paradigm shift to understand the principles of our actions is necessary for our hearts to really be transformed.
 
Notice the mention of those 'who do not beg' and 'those who do' . 

Abu Hurayrah narrates: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
'Allah does not look at your appearances and your wealth. Rather, He looks at your hearts and your actions.'
[Authentic: Narrated by Muslim (2564:34)] PropheticTafsir 
#SuratAlHaj