In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
This is (to be borne in mind). Anyone who honors the symbols set up by God (shows evidence of) God-consciousness in people’s hearts.
You have benefit in them for a term appointed; and in the end their place of sacrifice is near the Ancient House.
For every community We have appointed (sacrifice as) an act of worship, so that they might extol the name of God over whatever heads of cattle He may have provided for them. Your God is the One and Only God. Hence, surrender yourselves to Him. Give good news to those who are humble, whose hearts tremble with awe whenever God is mentioned, and who patiently bear whatever befalls them, attend regularly to their prayer and spend on others out of what We provide for them. (The Pilgrimage, Al-Haj: 22: 32-35)
The Surah mentioned those who honor God’s sanctities and promised them what is good for them. Such honoring is fulfilled by preserving and protecting such sanctities and steering away from violating the rules applicable to them. Here in this passage, the Surah speaks of honoring the symbols set up by God, which, in this instance, refers to the animals sacrificed during pilgrimage. The honor is manifested by choosing the best and most valuable animals for sacrifice: "This is (to be borne in mind). Anyone who honors the symbols set up by God (shows evidence of) God-consciousness in people’s hearts. You have benefit in them for a term appointed; and in the end their place of sacrifice is near the Ancient House."
A link is established here between the sacrifice offered by pilgrims and the way hearts are made conscious of God. The whole purpose of all pilgrimage rituals is to enhance the God-fearing sense among believers. All these rituals are symbols confirming submission to God, the Lord of the Kaabah, the Sacred House, and obeying Him in all situations. They may also involve reminders of old events, from the time of Abraham and later generations, but these are reminders of complete submission to God, obeying His rules and looking up to Him for guidance. Such is the mark of the Muslim community ever since its earliest days. Hence, these symbols are to be treated on equal footing with prayers.
These animals marked for sacrifice on the day when pilgrims are due to release themselves from consecration may be used by their owners. The owner may ride such animals, if they are suitable for the purpose; or he may use their milk, until they reach the place where they are to be sacrificed, which is in the vicinity of the Ancient House, i.e. the Kaabah. They are then sacrificed there, when the owners may partake of their meat, but they must give much of it to the poor.
At the Prophet’s time, Muslims used to choose the best animals for sacrifice, paying the best prices for them, as a gesture of honoring the symbols set up by God. Their only motive was their God-fearing sense. Abdullah ibn Omar reports that his father received a superb she-camel as a gift. He was offered 300 dinars for it, (which was a very high price). He reported this to the Prophet and asked whether he should sell it to buy instead several camels for sacrifice. The Prophet said: "No. Make this one your sacrifice."
We note here that Omar did not wish to sell the camel in order to save part of its price. He simply wanted to buy instead several camels or cows and sacrifice them all, although he was aware that one camel or cow was sufficient to fulfill the sacrifice duty for seven pilgrims. The Prophet, however, advised him to sacrifice the precious animal itself, for the very reason that it was such a precious one. While the alternative suggested by Omar could have given much more meat to go round, the moral aspect was intended here, because it is a demonstration of honoring the symbols set up by God. This is what the Prophet wished to highlight as he ordered Omar to sacrifice that particular she-camel.
The Qur’an mentions that the sacrifice ritual was known in many communities. Islam, however, puts it on the right course, offered for God alone: "For every community We have appointed (sacrifice as) an act of worship, so that they might extol the name of God over whatever heads of cattle He may have provided for them. Your God is the One and Only God. Hence, surrender yourselves to Him. Give good news to those who are humble, whose hearts tremble with awe whenever God is mentioned, and who patiently bear whatever befalls them, attend regularly to their prayer and spend on others out of what We provide for them."
Islam purifies feelings and intentions, setting them all for one goal. Thus, intentions, actions, worship and customs all serve a common purpose, setting life on the sound basis of faith.
This is the underlying reason for prohibiting eating any meat at the slaughter of which any name other than God’s is invoked. Indeed it is essential to invoke God’s name at the sacrifice, giving prominence to such invocation, as if the sacrifice is done merely to invoke God’s name: "For every community We have appointed (sacrifice as) an act of worship, so that they might extol the name of God over whatever heads of cattle He may have provided for them." This is followed by a clear statement of God’s oneness: "Your God is the One and Only God." An order of submission to Him is the logical conclusion: "Hence, surrender yourselves to Him." Such surrender should be an act of choice, done with complete reassurance, without any compulsion: "Give good news to those who are humble, whose hearts tremble with awe whenever God is mentioned." The mere mention of God’s name stirs in them a feeling of awe that manifests itself in their actions. "Who patiently bear whatever befalls them." They do not object to whatever happens to them by God’s will. They also "attend regularly to their prayer," showing thus that they worship God as He wishes to be worshipped. Moreover, they do not grudgingly hold on to what they have. Rather, they "spend on others out of what We provide for them."
Thus a close link is established between faith and worship rituals. The latter are derived from faith and manifestations of it. Hence, they are described as symbols set up by God. What is important in all this is that life itself derives its color from faith, ensuring unity between beliefs and actions.
