Prophet Ibrahim’s test teaches us many things about the most essential elements of our faith. The most important of these is absolute devotion and submission to Allah (swt). As we know, the literal meaning of the word ‘Islam’, is submission. When Prophet Ibrahim (as) offered his beloved son as a sacrifice, he showed his total submission to the will of Allah (swt) and his faith in the Creator’s guidance, and true devotion can be seen, of how Prophet Ismail willingly sacrifice for Allah’s sake.

There we can see how submissive Prophet Ibrahim & Ismail were to Allah just to please and obey Him.

That was the first history of how Qurban started in Islam, and here how our own beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW as well did his qurban following the footstep of Prophet Ibrahim AS.

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ شَهِدْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الأَضْحَى بِالْمُصَلَّى فَلَمَّا قَضَى خُطْبَتَهُ نَزَلَ عَنْ مِنْبَرِهِ فَأُتِيَ بِكَبْشٍ فَذَبَحَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهِ وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ هَذَا عَنِّي وَعَمَّنْ لَمْ يُضَحِّ مِنْ أُمَّتِي ‏"
 

"I attended the Eid Al-Adha' with the Prophet (ﷺ) at the Musalla. When he finished his Khutbah, he descended from his Minbar and was given a male sheep. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slaughtered it with his hand and said: 'Bismillah, Wa Allahu Akbar, this from me and whoever does not slaughter from my Ummah.”

Even in Qur’an, Allah has already mentioned about this sacrifice, what kind of animals; how is the procedure of the slaughter; what should we do with the meat and everything Allah has explained clearly to us.

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُم مِّن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ ۖ فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ ۖ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرْنَاهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ - 22:36
 

And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah ; for you therein is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]; and when they are [lifeless] on their sides, then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may be grateful.

Furthermore, the Qur’an also explains to us the significance of Qurbani in making us more pious:

‘Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good’. (Qur’an 22:37)

Not only does this show Qurban’s importance as an act of worship, but it also makes it clear that it is the symbolism of the act rather than the act itself which makes the sacrifice so important. Allah (swt) does not need our sacrifice. He is the Creator of all life and He calls life back to Him when He sees fit. Qurban is in fact an act that benefits us. By sacrificing something of our own for the sake of Allah (swt) we are nurturing our Iman, strengthening our capacity for sabr and reminding ourselves of the fleeting nature of the dunya.

And without us realizing this are the wisdoms and the blessings behind why Qurban is being done in Islam.