The spirit of sacrifice forms the essence of all Islamic acts and deeds. This occurs when one feels that he is under direct supervision of God.
On the occasion of Hajj and Eid al-Adha, Muslims worldwide perform the ritual of sacrificing an animal in the name of God. This act of sacrifice is not isolated from daily life; rather, it is related to every facet of a person’s existence. It signifies that believers should live in this world embodying the spirit of sacrifice. The spirit of sacrifice forms the essence of all Islamic acts and deeds.
The Quran states: “ I created the jinn and mankind only so that they might worship Me” (51:56).
This means that the purpose of creating jinn and mankind is solely to worship God. But what does worship truly entail? The Prophet of Islam explained it thus: “Worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 50; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 8) This means that one should worship God with the mindset of perceiving His presence as if one can see Him, and even if one is seeing Him, one should be aware that He sees them. This hadith shows what is the right way of life for human beings.
His consciousness should be so awakened that he starts feeling as if he is seeing God. This feeling should permeate his entire life with a divine hue. His every word and action should instil in him the feeling as if he is seeing God, and that everything he does is under the direct supervision of God. It is living life with such heightened awareness which is known as worship. This level of consciousness is achieved by an individual only when he has made God his sole concern.
