Zabah of the Nafs

The dreams of the Ambiya (Alaihimus Salaam) are Wahi. And the dreams of the Ambiya are true. Ibraheem (Alaihis Salaam) saw in a dream that he was slaughtering his son. Therefore, this dream was also true. On the basis of this, one has to accept that the action of slaughtering his son was proven in terms of the Shariah and in terms of language, although the son’s neck was not cut.

When Hazrat Ibraheem (Alahis Salaam) successfully passed this test then Allah Ta’ala gave him a ram to slaughter in place of Isma’eel (Alaihis Salaam). This was the outward dimension of Udh’hiyyah.

The inward [spiritual] dimension is that the objective was slaughtering of the nafs [ego/carnal-self] which was fulfilled by slaughtering of the son.

لِكُلِّ اٰيَةٍ ظَهْرٌ وَّبَطْنٌ

Following the principle of, “Every Aayat has an external meaning and an inner meaning,” just as every Ibaadat has an external form – zaahir – and an inner form – baatin, similarly this Udh’hiyyah has an external form which everyone is aware of, and it has an inner form which is Zabah of the nafs and that is the Rooh or Essence of Zabah Walad [slaughtering of the son].

Thus, the nature of Qurbaani is Fana-e-Nafs [annihilation of the nafs], hence Ibraheem (Alaihis Salaam) was commanded to slaughter his son, not himself, because the daunting nature of a person slitting the throat of his child with his own hand—and really it is an extremely hard thing; just thinking about it makes one tremble – in comparison it is easier to cut one’s own throat.

No father in his right senses can ever tolerate such an action. He will consider taking his own life infinitely easier.

This is the meaning of Fana-e-Nafs – to oppose one’s nafs [carnal desire], and this essence is found intensely more in passing a knife over the throat of one’s son than in passing it over one’s own throat.

(Sunnat-e-Ibraheem)