Sacrifice in the World of Eid

Why do we sacrifice at Eid? Why do we buy a living creature, spend money on it, and slaughter it? Before we throw you into an existential crisis — we sacrifice because God commanded Prophet Ibrahim to slaughter his son Ismail, and when he came to do so, God redeemed him with a ram. The answer is simply this: because God is teaching us that sacrifice is a law. A law for survival and for obtaining good things — a law that, if we understand it, will straighten our lives and allow us to live them as they should be lived. Your very existence is a sacrifice your parents made with their comfort, money, and time so they could have children, support, and happiness. Getting up in the morning for work when you haven't slept enough is a sacrifice so income will come and you can live with ease. Giving up the easy, tempting forbidden pleasures of this world in hope for the afterlife is a sacrifice. Jordan Peterson says: "The future has no mercy. The future is critical. The future says to you: the reckoning is with me — I know what you gave, what you offered, and what you sacrificed. I am your future. Do you want me to give to you? Then give me your past." Everything good in your future is the result of something you sacrificed today. Here are several laws related to sacrifice: First — the sacrifice must be of something you actually want and don't wish to give up. Second — the greater the sacrifice, the greater the result. Third — the sacrifice doesn't have to be something wrong; it can be something ordinary like money. You sacrifice buying a certain car now so you can save up and buy a better one later. Fourth — sacrifice is happening whether you choose it or not. If you don't sacrifice, life will sacrifice on your behalf without giving you a say.