Faith, Sacrifice & Conviction

As we step into the sacred new year of 1447H in the blessed month of Muharram, let us not leave behind the profound lessons and spiritual reflections we gained in Zulhijjah. Instead, may we carry them forward with renewed intention, allowing their wisdom to guide our hearts and actions in the year ahead.

On Sacrifice, Faith & Conviction

Zulhijjah is one of the four sacred months in Islam, with Hajj, the sacred pilgrimage, as its pinnacle. This is when pilgrims from all walks of life converge in Mecca, leaving behind the comforts of daily life and choosing Allah SWT over worldly affairs. Clothed in the ihram, a simple, unstitched garment, they enter a state of humility and devotion, ready to face a journey that tests the body, heart, and soul.

Unlike Umrah, Hajj involves additional rituals, none more spiritually significant than the Day of Arafah, on the 9th of Zulhijjah. Under the scorching sun, pilgrims stand at Mount Arafah from noon to sunset in reverent prayer, seeking forgiveness and liberation from the Hellfire.

Sacrifice is a recurring theme during Hajj, tested through physical hardship, emotional struggle, and spiritual submission. This value is ultimately crystallized on the 10th of Zulhijjah, when pilgrims perform the Korban, the ritual sacrifice of livestock, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) unwavering obedience to Allah SWT in his willingness to sacrifice his son.

But this ritual invites a deeper reflection: what does sacrifice truly mean for us today? And in what ways are we being called to sacrifice in our own lives?

The word korban is derived from the Arabic root "qaruba", which means to draw near. At its core, korban signifies nearness to Allah SWT through worship, submission, and good deeds. While it broadly reflects the spiritual act of seeking closeness to the Divine, it is most commonly associated with the ritual sacrifice of an animal during the days of Eid al-Adha, in conjunction with the Hajj pilgrimage. The Prophet Muhammad SAW emphasized that this act must be carried out with compassion and dignity. The animal should be treated gently, slaughtered humanely, and not made to suffer or feel distress. More than a ritual, the sacrifice is an expression of gratitude to Allah SWT and a powerful reminder of our duty to share with those in need, as the meat is distributed among the poor.

The Story of the Sacrifice

The origin of this sacred act lies in one of the most profound moments in the life of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), when he was commanded by Allah SWT to sacrifice his beloved son, Prophet Ismail (AS). Surely this was an ultimate trial of devotion.

After Prophet Ibrahim (AS) migrated for the sake of Allah SWT, abandoning his home and all worldly comforts solely for the sake of Him, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) made a heartfelt dua: “My Lord, grant me a child from among the righteous.” to which Allah replied, “So We gave him the glad tidings of a gentle son.” [37:100-101]

One can only imagine how Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) love for his son grew with every passing day, until the most difficult commandment came:

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٠٢

“Then when the boy reached the age to work with him, Abraham said, “O my dear son! I have seen in a dream that I ˹must˺ sacrifice you. So tell me what you think.” He replied, “O my dear father! Do as you are commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.” [37:102]

As seen in the aforementioned verse, neither of the two Prophets even questioned Allah SWT’s command. Instead, they submitted wholeheartedly, demonstrating not just obedience, but a profound certitude in His wisdom and mercy.

Now, have we ever truly paused to reflect, what gave Prophet Ibrahim (AS) the strength to carry out such an unimaginable act?

It was not mere belief, but a heart overflowing with Iman (faith) and Yaqeen (conviction) that stood unshaken in the face of sacrifice.

But what is Iman (Faith) ?

In his commentary on ‘Aqeedah Tahawiyyah, Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi describes Iman as a living, dynamic reality, composed of belief in the heart, affirmation by the tongue, and actions through the limbs. Faith, in Islam, is not passive or confined to inner conviction alone; it moves through every part of the believer, reflected in how one lives, speaks, and endures.

Contrary to the modern notion that faith is belief without reason, Islamic Iman is neither blind nor irrational. It is deeply rooted in Truth, supported by divine revelation, and affirmed by the signs in ourselves and the universe. Faith gives life structure. It shapes our purpose, raises our aspirations, and clarifies our identity and role in the world.

As the Muslim philosopher Allama Iqbal eloquently said:

“Faith is neither mere thought, nor mere feeling, nor mere action; it is the expression of the whole person.”

So when Prophet Ibrahim (AS) submitted to Allah’s command, it was not an act of blind zeal. It was an expression of Iman in its fullest form, his heart believed, his tongue affirmed, and his limbs acted. His faith was not abstract; it was embodied, conscious, and whole-hearted. And it was precisely this depth of faith that enabled him to face one of the greatest tests of his life.

Prophet Ibrahim (AS) knew, with certitude, that obeying Allah SWT would never lead to harm. But what gave him the strength to act with such conviction? To understand that, we must grasp the essence of Yaqeen.

What is Yaqeen (Conviction)?

While a person may have Iman, faith in Allah SWT and the Day of Judgment, they may still struggle to act decisively, especially in times of hardship. This hesitation often stems from a lack of Yaqeen. If Iman is belief, Yaqeen is an unshakable conviction. It transforms belief into unwavering trust and firm action.

Yaqeen fuels patience, courage, and sacrifice. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) didn’t merely believe in Allah’s mercy and justice, he was certain of it. His heart was anchored in conviction, free from hesitation or fear.

However, Ibn al-Qayyim eloquently explains that Yaqeen cannot be attained through human effort alone, it is not the product of study or debate. Rather, it is Allah SWT who plants this deep certainty within the heart of the believer who earnestly yearns for truth and strives to align with it. Similarly, Junayd al-Baghdadi describes Yaqeen as istiqrār—a profound, unwavering settling of truth within the heart, so deeply rooted that it remains unshaken by doubt, fear, or hardship. In this tradition, Yaqeen transcends intellectual assent; it is a living spiritual certainty etched into the heart. While reason guides, it is neither the sole nor ultimate source of conviction. True Yaqeen is a sacred gift from Allah, bestowed upon those who seek Him with sincerity, humility, and steadfast trust.

How then do we become the kind of people who are worthy of receiving this gift?

Ibn al-Qayyim outlines a framework for us to follow:

1. Seeing Allah in everything – Recognising His Names, Attributes, and signs in every moment and aspect of creation.

2. Returning to Him in every situation – Turning to Allah whether in ease or difficulty, constantly seeking proximity to Him.

3. Seeking His aid in every circumstance – Acknowledging our limitations and finding strength only in His help.

When we adopt this inward posture, a heart anchored in awareness, return, and reliance, we create fertile ground for yaqeen to flourish. It is in this space that belief becomes conviction, and intellectual assent transforms into lived trust.

When the heart is filled with such yaqeen, it unlocks a unique strength: the ability to act decisively, even when the stakes are high. Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) readiness to sacrifice was not a moment of cold, unthinking obedience, it was the fruit of a heart that had fully surrendered to Allah SWT and trusted Him beyond all doubt.

And this is the kind of faith we are called to embody, Iman that flows through the whole person, and Yaqeen that anchors us when the path is unclear. The form of our sacrifices may differ, but the spirit remains the same: full trust in the One who never fails His promise.

So, what are we called to sacrifice in this modern day and age?

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ٢١

ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِرَٰشًۭا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءًۭ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًۭا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًۭا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ٢٢

O humanity! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that you may become mindful ˹of Him˺. ˹He is the One˺ Who has made the earth a place of settlement for you and the sky a canopy; and sends down rain from the sky, causing fruits to grow as a provision for you. So do not knowingly set up equals to Allah ˹in worship˺. (2:21-22)

In this timeless invitation, Allah does not call only the believer, but every soul, regardless of faith, status, or background, to recognise their Creator. It is a universal call to awaken, to reflect on the One who brought us into existence and sustains us every moment and in doing so, we are asked to sacrifice everything else that competes with our devotion. The things we are called to forsake today are essentially idols, and while they may not be carved from stone or wood, they are just as real, and often more dangerous because of how silently they creep into our hearts. In our modern context, these idols take the form of ego, desires, the pursuit of status, comfort, hedonism, and the relentless glorification of the self. They call us to live for fleeting pleasure rather than eternal truth. These are the gods of our time, subtle, insidious, yet powerful in their pull.

Allah draws our attention to this very trap in Surah Al-Furqan: “Have you seen the one who takes his own desires as his god?” [25:43]. It is a sobering reminder that the greatest form of idolatry may not lie in external rituals, but in internal loyalties, what we love most, obey most, and fear losing most. To worship Allah truly is to dismantle these hidden idols one by one, to cleanse the heart so that only His light remains at its centre. It is to give Him not just our prayers, but our priorities, our choices, and our direction. That is the path to taqwa, to becoming truly mindful of Him.

Staying on this path is not easy. The Prophet Muhammad SAW foretold this spiritual challenge when he said:

“There shall come upon the people a time when the one who is patient upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2260]

This image captures the immense difficulty of staying true to one’s faith in a time of widespread distraction and spiritual erosion. But difficulty is not a reason to retreat. As Imam Al-Ghazali reminds us in Advice to a Son, quoting ‘Ali (RA):

“One who thinks he will reach [his goal] without struggle is being vain; and one who believes he will reach because of his struggle will be satisfied.”

The True Sacrifice

In Islam, sacrifice is not about loss, it is about transformation. It is the heart’s declaration that Allah is greater than anything this world can offer. Whether we give up comfort, wealth, time, or desire, what is given for Allah is never wasted. It is an act of devotion born out of faith and yaqeen, a deep, unshakable conviction that whatever is given up for His sake will be returned in a better form, if not in this world, then surely in the Hereafter. As Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas beautifully explains in The Nature of Man and the Psychology of the Human Soul, this obedience to Allah is not foreign to our nature. It is woven into our fitrah—our original, uncorrupted self. He references the primordial moment in Surah Al-A‘raf when Allah asked all souls: “Am I not your Lord?” and we all replied, “Yes, You are. We testify.” [7:172]. Submission, then, is not a restriction—it is a return to who we were always meant to be.

This reframing of sacrifice as a return to our original truth reshapes the way we live. When a student chooses discipline over distraction, or a parent sacrifices rest for their child—when either of them does it for the sake of Allah, it becomes a sacred act, an investment in the Hereafter. For the believer, sacrifice is not a burden but a badge of honour, a mark of trust and love for the Divine. Islam teaches that true sacrifice means rising above the self, breaking free from the idols of status, wealth, desire, and fear. Every believer will face moments when they must choose between ease and ethics, comfort and conviction, desire and devotion. And it is in these moments of choice that faith is truly expressed—not merely in words, but in the heart’s allegiance.

It is in choosing Allah SWT over all else that we find true liberation—a freedom from the illusions of this world and the shackles of the nafs. This is the essence of Korban: a sacred surrender that draws us nearer to the Divine. It is a proclamation that our love, loyalty, and longing belong first and foremost to Allah. As the Qur’an reminds us: “This worldly life is no more than play and amusement, but far better is the ˹eternal˺ Home of the Hereafter for those mindful ˹of Allah˺. Will you not then understand?” [6:32]. It gently urges us not to trade what is eternal for what is temporary—not to lose our true home chasing fleeting illusions.

So let us not be among those who are deceived by the glitter of this world. Let us seek the company of those who remind us of Allah SWT, who help purify our hearts, and who walk with us on this path of sacrifice. May our actions, no matter how small, be rooted in love for Him. This is the spirit of Korban: to give up what we love for the sake of what is greater.

May Allah SWT accept our sacrifices, strengthen our iman, anchor our hearts in yaqeen, and draw us ever closer to Him in sincerity and steadfastness. May He make us among those who choose Him over all else, and who find in that choice the truest form of peace. Ameen.