Honorable Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, our Lord Almighty (swt) states, “Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you…”[i]
In the hadith I have read, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) says, “The son of Adam does not do any deed on the Day of Sacrifice that is dearer to Allah than sacrificing an animal for Him.”[ii]
Dear Muslims!
Qurbani means divine closeness, the effort of servants to get closer to Allah, the desire to achieve piety, and to strive to be the recipient of divine grace.
Qurbani is about being loyal and putting Allah the Almighty’s (swt) consent above everyone and everything else.
Qurbani means submission, and shows that a believer is willing to give up on their wealth and life lovingly for Allah (swt).
Qurbani implies being grateful and understanding the worth of the countless blessings our Lord (swt) has bestowed upon us. It entails avoiding succumbing to one’s cravings and lusts, greed and avarice, and eliminating any impediments between Allah (swt) and us.
Dear Believers!
Qurbani is also about fostering the sense of brotherhood and promoting the spirit of helping one another and solidarity. It is about building heart bridges among believers, and acting as a beacon of hope for people in need in our country as well as all those oppressed and victimized across the globe. What remains for us from the animals we sacrifice is not what we eat and consume, but what we give away. In this respect, when our Prophet (saw) once asked if there was anything left from the animal he sacrificed, our mother ‘A’isha (ra) replied, “Nothing, except the shoulder.” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, بَقِىَ كُلُّهَا غَيْرَ كَتِفِهَا “All of it is left except its shoulder.”[iii]
Dear Muslims!
The Türkiye Diyanet Foundation will be once again at the service of our great jamaat for individuals who want to perform the qurbani worship by proxy, as it does each year. With the motto “Share Your Qurbani, Get Closer to Your Brothers and Sisters”, we will not only distribute portions of meat from the qurbani to those in need all over the world, but we will also share your’s helpfulness charity with them. Each sacrificial animal you entrust to us will be slaughtered in a clear and transparent manner according to Islamic procedures, and distributed in your name to the oppressed, victimized, and those in need. This way, our sense of brotherhood will get stronger, and the joy and happiness of the ‘eid will reach the saddened hearts insha Allah. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you, our dear congregation, to join this caravan of charity through applying of our Foundation. May Allah (swt) allow us to reach the ‘Eid in good health, peace, and happiness.
[i] Hajj, 22/37.
[ii] Tirmidhi, Adahi, 1.
[iii] Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah, 33.
FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMII “QURBANI: DESIRE TO ATTAIN PIETY”.(PDF)