Every year during Dhul-Hijjah, Muslims around the world remember a man who stood alone, yet stood firm. A man who didn’t just speak about belief in one God he lived it, breathed it, and sacrificed everything for it.
That man is Prophet Ibrahim (AS) the father of the Prophets and a timeless symbol of Tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allah) and sacrifice.
Tawheed isn’t just saying La ilaha illa Allah. It’s a way of living. It means recognizing that only Allah deserves your worship, love, trust, fear, and ultimate loyalty.
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was raised in a society drowned in idol worship even his own father was a sculptor of idols. But he questioned it. He searched for the truth. And when he found it, he stood by it even when it meant being thrown into a fire. Allah says:
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًاۖ وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
“Indeed, Ibrahim was a nation (ummah), obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah.” Surah An-Nahl 16:120
One man. Against an entire society. But his heart was full of Allah, so he feared no one else.
Fast forward. Years later, after longing for a child, Allah blesses Ibrahim (AS) with a son Isma’il. A beloved boy. A miracle. A joy.
Then Allah tests him again. In a dream, Ibrahim sees himself sacrificing Isma’il.
Imagine the inner turmoil: "I waited decades for this child… and now I have to give him up?"
But Ibrahim (AS) was not ordinary. His heart belonged to Allah first.
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰۚ
“O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. So what do you think?”
Isma’il replied,
قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
“O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the patient.” Surah As-Saffat 37:102
This moment defines true submission not just from the father, but from the son too.
Of course, Allah replaced the sacrifice with a ram. But that moment became a legacy, honored every year by Muslims during Eid al-Adha.
Today, when we offer a qurbani (sacrifice) during Eid, it’s not just about meat. It’s about what we’re willing to give up for the sake of Allah.
لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْۚ
كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but what reaches Him is piety from you.” Surah Al-Hajj 22:37
In conclusion, let the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) remind you that love for Allah demands action and that every sacrifice made for Him is never truly lost.