SACRIFICE ( قربانى)
To sacrifice something or someone to please God or to ward off evil or to gain a wish has been a ceremony in human culture since the beginning. It changes in appearance, in performance and in different cultures but it remains one way or another in both developed and non developed world. If this ritual is not part of religion it becomes a part of heritage or social norm.
People used to sacrifice people especially the loved ones for the pleasure of god
Islam changed this practice by ordering to sacrifice animal instead of human and effectively demonstrated it through Prophet Ibrahim.
First sacrifice was done by sons of Adam as mentioned in Quran:
وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿المائدة: ٢٧﴾
here it is being told that sacrifice was done to get near (قرب )and to get this nearness to God person should be one. So no shirk, no partners with God. Even then the criteria of acceptance was to be righteous ( المتقين ). This verse is general in sense and applies to whole humanity.
Know that sacrifice is done for God and you should be aware which God you believe and for which you can sacrifice all. As the end of days get near people move away from true Islam and increasingly worship false gods. These false gods may be desires, wishes, ideology, money, power, groups, corporate, nationhood etc.
People will sacrifice themselves or the dear ones to get near to their false gods.
Now Islam takes you to a higher level with the concept of Allah. With belief in Allah you have to break all other Gods, break demi-gods and break false gods.
Thus true Islam actually liberates you from all other Gods and ask you to submit only to Allah and if you can hold tight to one Allah all your life or may be for a while you become the righteous one ( متقي)
Let’s review the end of verse from another perspective :
وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
In the end of times ( الاخر) it will be only killing ( قتل) and the righteous one will be those who refrain from killing of animals.
It also tells you that in the end killing will be done if you forget true Islam. As the turmoil will be great people will be afraid and to allay their fear they will seek help from god but from false god and in the manner as done in the beginning !
The end of humanity may just resemble their beginning.
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