Each year thousands of animals are sacrificed all around the world on Eid-al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice. The holy prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) is remembered for being willing to sacrifice his son at the command of Almighty Allah. We remember that at the last moment as the prophet was about to plunge the knife into the body of his son, Allah called out to Prophet Ibrahim to stop and not to harm his son. Instead, Allah provided an animal as a substitute sacrifice. And so, every year similar sacrifices are performed in memory of Prophet Ibrahim’s submission to Allah.
But is there a deeper, hidden meaning to this sacrifice to help us today? Yes, there is a deeper meaning. It can only be understood by listening to the words of the holy Taurat, one of the heavenly books sent down to guide mankind. But why should you look in this particular book? Because it is this holy book which gives the original account of the life of Prophet Ibrahim, including the original account of this great sacrifice. The event is recorded in the holy Taurat, part one (Genesis), chapter 22.
In the account, Prophet Ibrahim and his son are walking to the hill where the sacrifice is to take place. The son notices that they have everything except an animal to sacrifice, and so he asks his father a question,
“Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Holy Taurat, Genesis 22, verse 7)
Prophet Ibrahim answers,
“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Holy Taurat, Genesis 22, verse 8).
Notice that both the prophet and his son thought that the appropriate animal for the sacrifice was a lamb, or baby sheep. Prophet Ibrahim said that Allah would provide the lamb for sacrifice. But what happened?
Ibrahim stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
The angel of Allah called to him out of the sky, and said, “Ibrahim, Ibrahim!“
Ibrahim said, “Here I am.“
The angel said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.“
Ibrahim lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Ibrahim went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. (Taurat, Genesis 22, verses 10-13)
Prophet Ibrahim said that Allah would provide a lamb for sacrifice. But what did Allah provide? Allah did not provide a lamb, but a ram. We know that it was a ram because it was caught in a thicket by its horns. A lamb has no horns. If this is so, then a question remains, “Was Prophet Ibrahim mistaken when he said that Allah would provide a lamb?”
No, he spoke the truth. This is where the secret meaning of the sacrifice comes in. For many centuries after Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice, the full meaning of the prophet’s statement remained hidden. Then one day, a new prophet appeared to mankind — Prophet Yahya (pbuh). Listen to the account of Prophet Yahya found in the holy Injil,
The next day, Yahya saw Isa coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of Allah, who takes away the sin of the world! (Holy Injil, John 1, verse 29).
Prophet Yahya undoubtedly knew the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s great sacrifice. He himself could have read the story in the holy Taurat. He knew that Prophet Ibrahim said that Allah would provide a lamb to die as a substitute for his son. Prophet Yahya could also know that the actual animal sacrificed at the time was a ram, not a lamb. Now Prophet Yahya sees the son of Maryam, Prophet Isa al-Masih, and says to everyone present, “Look, the Lamb of Allah, who takes away the sin of the world!”
According the holy Injil, Isa al-Masih is a lamb. But which lamb? The lamb which Prophet Ibrahim first said Allah would provide. This is the lamb which had to be sacrificed to save the son of Prophet Ibrahim. The animal which Prophet Ibrahim sacrificed was not the real lamb of Allah, but just a ram. It was only a temporary arrangement made until the real lamb of Allah should come. The real Lamb, Isa al-Masih, would be much better than any mere animal because he could take away the sins of all men! An animal’s life does not have the value of a man’s life, and so the sacrifice of an animal can never take away any man’s sins. But the life of Isa al-Masih has inestimable value, and so he can help every man. By giving his own life as a sacrifice for sins, he could free all the sons of Prophet Ibrahim from their sins.
But when did Isa al-Masih give his life as a sacrifice for sins? It was before he was taken up to be with Allah. Of his own free will, Prophet Isa himself decided that he would let evil men kill him by nailing his body to a cross:
So the soldiers took charge of Isa. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others–one on each side and Isa in the middle. Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that Al-Kitab would be fulfilled, Isa said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Isa’s lips. When he had finished the drink, Isa said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (Injil, John 19, verses 17,18,28-30)
Perhaps this is new knowledge to you, but it was not new to Isa al-Masih. He knew in advance that it would happen. Not only that but he allowed it to happen. Before all this happened, Prophet Isa al-Masih had said,
No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. (Injil, John 10, verse 18)
So it was Prophet Isa’s own decision to lay down his life as a sacrifice. But just as he laid his life down, he also took it up again by his own authority. He became alive again! His rising again was the proof that his suffering was not a defeat. Allahu Akbar! The plot of the evil men failed. Isa al-Masih was victorious. After he became alive again, Isa al-Masih said this,
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. (Injil, Revelation 1, verse 18)
In giving his life as a sacrifice, Isa al-Masih fulfilled the words which Prophet Ibrahim spoke to his son many years before, “God himself will provide a lamb for sacrifice.” This is the lamb which takes away the sins of all men. His sacrifice is still powerful to save men from sins today because he is not dead, but alive. The holy Injil says,
Therefore he [Isa] is able to save completely those who come to Allah through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Injil, Hebrews 7, verse 25)
Prophet Isa al-Masih is the lamb who saves the sons of Prophet Ibrahim, that is, those who have the faith of Ibrahim. Prophet Ibrahim believed that Allah himself would provide a lamb as a substitute sacrifice. Prophet Ibrahim also believed that even if death should come, Allah can raise the dead to life. Allah has raised Isa al-Masih, who is alive today to intercede on behalf of all those who come to Allah through him. You too can approach Allah through Isa al-Masih, who will intercede to Allah for you, and save you from the penalty of your sins.
So remember that when you see an animal being sacrificed on Eid-al-Adha, the sacrificed animal speaks of a much greater sacrifice — the sacrifice of Isa al-Masih, the Lamb of Allah, who takes away the sins of the world.