Children feed goats being sold as kurban (sacrificial animals) at the Pondok Betung field, Pondok Aren, South Tangerang, Banten, Wednesday (30/8). At the field, children can learn about the virtue of kurban in a simple manner.
On 10 Zulhijjah 1438 Hijriah of the Islamic calendar, which falls on Sept. 1 this year, Muslims will participate in the Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) ritual. This is a blessed moment to show gratitude and to draw ourselves closer to Allah in the hope that we become a grateful servant (‘abdan syakuran) that achieves a higher level of piety.
Piety is Islam’s important message of continuously gracing ourselves with goodness and protecting ourselves from evil deeds. One common trait among pious people is integrity – not just in the individual sense in our connection with God (habl min Allah) but also in the communal sense (hablmin al-nas) so that we as Muslims can truly become rahmatan lil ‘alamin (blessing for all).
Today, millions of Muslims from all over the world are gathering in Mecca to participate in the haj, the fifth of Islam’s Five Pillars. The haj, as Allah said in the Quran in surah Ali Imran, verse 97, is an obligation for all able Muslims –financially, physically and knowledge-wise.
The journey to Mecca for the haj is a rihlah mubarakah (blessed journey). The haj is the culmination of a Muslim’s journey to improve his or her mental and spiritual qualities.
The haj is more than just the practice of a number of haj rites as outlined by fiqh (Islamic law). In the fiqh of haj, pilgrims move from the profane and worldly realm toward a state of holiness, as symbolized by wearing the all-white ihram attire. The purification of the self is done not only physically but also symbolically from all material things that reflect social differentiation.
All fiqhiyah haji rituals eliminate the differences among Muslims: those of gender, socioeconomy, culture, ethnicity and sociopolitics. All are equal before Allah. The haj is a unique moment signifying Islam’s egalitarian, multi-ethnical and multicultural way of life, in which individuals and groups dedicate their lives to the implementation of Islamic and humanitarian values.
Material sacrifice
Haj pilgrims and their families at home who await their return hope that the pilgrimage will be mabrur (enlightened and pleasing to Allah). In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad was said by Bukhari and Muslims to have emphasized that, “There will be no reward for mabrur haj but heaven itself.”
The word mabrur in this hadith is related to the word al-birr, which means virtue or good deed based on one’s piety. The word al-birr is mentioned many times in the Quran, such as in surah Ali Imran, verse 92, which says, “Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love.”
For the financially able, the cost of the haj is a material sacrifice. A material sacrifice in the form of zakat, infak, sadaqah and wakaf is important in Islam for habl min Allah and hablmin al-nas.
Furthermore, al-birr has the meaning of giving to those in need. Material sacrifices are not always easy. This is especially true if the wealth was obtained through hardships in halal ways in line with state laws and Islamic guidance. This is where Islamic principles are relevant, in that our wealth is a test for us, whether we are controlled and enslaved by it and refuse to sacrifice it. Or, instead, whether we have control over our wealth and are willing to donate a portion of it for the sake of the community and the nation.
Another material sacrifice is the duty to participate in animal sacrifices. This ritual is an expression of our gratitude to Allah for the various fortunes and favors that He has provided for His servants (Surah Al Kautsar, verses 1-3).
Patience and sincerity in sacrifice, as shown by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, is the grand jihad. The sacrifice of cattle symbolizes mankind’s attempt to get closer to Allah (taqarubila Allah), as is meant by the word qurban. Sacrifices are also good for taqarrubila al-nas, or solidarity among mankind. Amid the economic difficulties faced by some Indonesians, taqarrubila al-nas is vital.
As such, the qurban and mabrur haj rituals must be reflected in the increase of al-birr deeds, namely material sacrifices in the form of donations, zakat, infak, shadaqah and wakaf. If all of these are done, solidarity in the life of the nation will be improved and social cohesion and security will be more robust.
The need to increase our realization of mabrur and al-birr to strengthen social cohesion is highly urgent in Indonesia. Current estimation states that around 28 million Indonesians still live below the poverty line with daily earnings of below Rp 20,000 (US$1.50), which is not enough to fulfill basic needs for a decent and healthy life.
\'Ananiyah\' sacrifice
Muslims are required to make not only material but also non-material sacrifices – including sacrifices of ananiyah desires and egoism that can control people and harm others.
Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail gave very good examples by making their own ananiyah sacrifices. In their sacrificial rituals, both sacrificed the egoism that almost always result in the consideration of one’s own or one’s group interests over those of others.
The haj conducted in a package with the sacrificial ritual is also an ananiyah sacrifice. Haj pilgrims are prohibited from acts of selfishness by pushing or elbowing other pilgrims and they are also prohibited from becoming angry when they are pushed or elbowed by other pilgrims.
It is difficult to deny that the decay and destruction suffered by individuals, groups and nation-states are results of mankind’s failure to control and sacrifice their ananiyah for the greater good.
Symptoms of increasingly destructive ananiyah is plaguing Indonesia. One example is the massive spread of hoaxes, lies and slander through social media. If such ananiyah desires are not sacrificed, the resulting conflicts and disputes can ruin the social cohesion and the unity of the nation-state of Indonesia.
The duty to make material and ananiyah sacrifices lies especially on the shoulders of the nation’s elites: the leaders, the ulema, the rich and the opinion makers. Amid the continuous socioeconomic gaps and the increase in conflict-mongering in the nation, the nation’s elites should celebrate Idul Adha as more than just a routine. Rather, the celebration should be manifested in the actual life of the nation-state. Only as such will our diversity be functional for our social cohesion.
AZYUMARDI AZRA
Professor of History and Islamic Culture, Faculty of the Adab and Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta
