The ritual sacrifice performed during Eid al-Adha occupies a firmly established place within Islamic teaching. Its legitimacy is grounded in both the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
Numerous verses and hadiths not only prescribe the practice, but also emphasize its spiritual significance. The command to offer sacrifice appears explicitly in the Qur’an, among them in Surah al-Kawthar (108:2)
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
Translation: “So pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice.” (QS. al-Kautsar [108]: 2)
Though concise, the verse joins two central forms of worship: prayer as bodily devotion and sacrifice as material devotion. Muslim scholars have generally understood the word “wanhar” as a command to slaughter sacrificial animals, indicating the important status of qurban within Islamic law.
The Qur’an further explains in Surah al-Hajj (22:34-35) that sacrifice was prescribed for religious community:
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنْسَكًا لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللهِ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ اْلأَنْعَامِ فَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلاَةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ
Translation: “And for every nation We prescribed a rite of sacrifice so that they may mention the name of Allah over the livestock He has provided for them. For your God is One God, so submit yourselves to Him. And give glad tidings to the humble–those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, those who patiently endure what befalls them, establish prayer, and spend from what We have provided them.” (QS. al-Hajj [22]: 34–35)
These verses demonstrate that the qurban is not merely a ritual slaughter. Rather, it serves as an act of remembrance of God and an expression of complete submission to Him. The Qur’an even associates the practice with the qualities of sincere and obedient believers.
The Legacy of Prophet Ibrahim and the Meaning of Sacrifice
The historical roots of qurban are deeply intertwined with the story of Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail, as narrated in Surah ash-Shaffat (37:103–107):
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَابُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَاأَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ. فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ. وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَنْ يَاإِبْرَاهِيمُ. قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ. إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلاَءُ الْمُبِينُ. وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ
“Translation: when they had both submitted, and Ibrahim laid him down upon his forehead, We called out to him: ‘O Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the vision.’ Indeed, thus do We reward those who do good. Surely this was a clear trial. And We ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice.” (QS. ash-Shaffat [37]: 103–107)
This passage forms the spiritual foundation of Eid al-Adha. The sacrifice symbolizes obedience, sincerity, and absolute submission to the divine command.
The Qur’an also describes sacrificial animals as part of the visible symbols of religion. In Surah al-Hajj (22:36), Allah states:
وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ
Translation: “And We have made sacrificial camels among the symbols of Allah for you,” (QS. al-Hajj [22]: 36)
The phrase “sya‘ā’ir Allah” refers to sacred symbols that manifest the greatness of religion within the life of the Muslim community.
Prophetic Traditions on the Virtue of Qurban
The Qur’anic foundation of Eid al-Adha is further reinforced through the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH in a hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah from Abu Hurairah. The Prophet said:
مَنْ وَجَدَ سَعَةً فَلَمْ يُضَحِّ فَلاَ يَقْرَبَنَّ مُصَلاَّنَا
Translation: “Whoever possesses sufficient means yet does not offer sacrifice should not approach our place of prayer.”
This hadith illustrates the strong emphasis Islam places upon qurban, particularly for those who possess the financial ability to perform it. Another narration highlights both the historical and spiritual dimensions of sacrifice:
قلْتُ أَوْ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا هَذِهِ اْلأَضَاحِيُّ قَالَ سُنَّةُ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالُوا مَا لَنَا مِنْهَا قَالَ بِكُلِّ شَعْرَةٍ حَسَنَةٌ
Translation: “We asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are these sacrifices?’ He replied, ‘They are the tradition of your forefather Ibrahim.’ They asked, ‘What reward do we receive from them?’ He answered, ‘For every hair there is a reward.’”
The Prophet ﷺ also clarified the time frame for slaughtering sacrificial animals:
كُلُّ أَيَّامِ التَّشْرِيقِ ذَبْحٌ
Translation: “All the days of Tashriq are days of sacrifice.”
Taken together, these Qur’anic verses and prophetic traditions establish that qurban rests upon a strong scriptural foundation. The ritual teaches that faith cannot remain merely an inward conviction. Instead, it must manifest in concrete acts of devotion, generosity, solidarity, and complete submission to the will of God.
