One problem I have encountered when sharing with Muslims here is that many do not know what they believe. An even larger number know some things about their religion but would rather defer to their Imam than try to articulate correct theology. There are many wonderful ways to bridge from Islamic belief to the gospel, but most are predicated on a certain understanding of Islam first.
If you don’t already know the meaning of the word or holiday “Qurban,” familiarity with the Hebrew language or a similar word used in Mark 7:11 might lead you to correctly guess that it relates to sacrifice or offering of some kind. This Islamic holiday commemorates the story of Abraham and his son. Families with the means to do so sacrifice a sheep or goat on this day. For Christians Abraham’s sacrifice and all the other sacrifices in the Old Testament point forward to the perfect sacrifice given in and by Jesus Christ. Sacrifice is a necessity for sinners. But what does this holiday really mean for Muslims?
While the meaning and story likely varies across different minorities, sects, and even families, this is the story as shared by a local friend. God required Abraham to give Him a gift. Abraham had nothing else to give, so God required his only son as a gift. Abraham struggled with the choice but decided to give his son to God. Just as Abraham was ready to kill his son, God provided a ram in the woods nearby. Abraham gave the ram as a gift in place of his son.
As this friend described, the goat or sheep sacrificed during Qurban corresponds to one person. Each year that a sacrifice is made, one person in the family is chosen as the recipient of that sacrifice. The sacrifice is only applicable to the one person, and each good Muslim needs at least one of these sacrifices in their lifetime. The goat takes the place of the chosen individual. Without this sacrifice, one cannot get to God in the afterlife.
When a person dies and enters the afterlife, he must first spend a period of time in hell where his remaining sin and uncleanness (haram) is removed. This is required whether or not the person will eventually get to heaven. How does the Qurban sacrifice come into play? There is a bridge that spans from hell to heaven, and it is the only way to get to heaven. Those who cannot cross this bridge remain in hell. However, crossing this bridge is no simple task because it is said to be thinner than a wire or even a hair. Those who never gave a Qurban sacrifice in their lifetime have virtually no way to get across, regardless of their many good deeds or faithful religious practice. For those who had a sacrifice to substitute for them, that goat will carry them across the bridge on its back.
- Pray for those Muslims who are depending on their Qurban sacrifice to find true comfort in the sacrifice of Jesus.
- Pray for Muslims who are living in fear of death to search for the One who can really take their place on the day of judgment.
- Pray that this belief in Qurban will serve as a bridge to bring many Muslims to the Truth.