‘Korban’ goes beyond ritual slaughter of animals for Hari Raya Aidiladha, says mosque chairman
MIRI: The meaning of ‘ korban’ (sacrifice) in Hari Raya Aidiladha goes beyond the ritual sacrifice of animals.
According to Masjid Darul Istiqamah Kampung Luak Miri chairperson Shaikh Naeemuddin Shaikh Aminullah, Aidiladha serves to remind Muslims about the sacrifices by all the prophets, undertaken purely for their love and obedience to Allah S.W.T.
In this regard, he acknowledges that while such scenario may be unlikely to happen in this modern day, the concept of sacrifice in Islam remains relevant.
“For me, ‘ korban’ is not just about slaughtering animals – we must understand that it is also about the sacrifices made for the sake of our families, communities and other matters that are not for our gain,” he said when met by The Borneo Post yesterday.
It is learnt that for this year’s Aidiladha, Masjid Darul Istiqamah Kampung Luak Miri will slaughter six head of cows this Saturday, of which the meat will be distributed to the families in Kampung Luak and Kampung Lusut here.
For Suryanti Samion, ‘korban’ teaches one to be selfless and make decisions that serve to benefit all.
“It’s a sacrifice to accept any decision meant for the greater good, even if we do not like it. For me, the meaning of sacrifice under the family context is vast.
“For example, when my son pursued his studies at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia ( UTHM) in Johor, it was one of the sacrifices that a mother and her child had to make.
“Now I know how my family felt when I was in the peninsula, before returning to Miri 10 years ago,” said the housewife, whose husband Mohd Farez Samin is a Johorean.
In relation to this Suryanti, who is a member of Sekolah Agama Rakyat Miri ( SARM)’s parent-teacher association, said Aidiladha celebration in Johor and Sarawak is not much different from each other.
Adding on, she said SARM would conduct a ‘ korban’ ritual today and the meat from two head of cattle would be distributed to the families of pupils and other local Muslims. For pensioner Said Mohidin, Aidiladha is a day for self-reflection.
“We need to evaluate ourselves – as Muslims, our sacrifices towards upholding Islam; as Malaysians, our sacrifices towards upholding the honour and sovereignty of our homeland.
“Parents need to teach their children what ‘ korban’ really means because today, the Muslims are going through a challenging world transformation which has reached the stage where Muslims should not merely read the stories about Prophet Ibrahim A.S.; they must also look beyond the meaning of sacrifice and understand it over a wider context,” said the 75-year- old.