In our life built on the harmonious union of opposites, there is a harmonious couple, as if they were the first words that came side by side in creation, summarizing the purpose of creation. It is as if the Most Merciful first said, “Be!” and the whole universe came into being, from particle to sphere. Then he juxtaposed “Sacrifice” and “Profit” and said “Be Sacrificial”. “Sacrifice” literally means to give up something for the sake of something. “Profit” means the profit made in the business of shopping. So “sacrifice” is a minus (-) and “profit” is a plus (+). In short, these two words, which were incomplete separately, are completed by coming side by side and become a compound word consisting of two words. On the other hand, it brings gain upon gain to people who have the trait that the saying expresses. These people are always loved, respected and appreciated. These two words, which are completely opposite to each other, are brought together by the Pen of a Very Powerful Linguist and become the name of a beautiful trait that will increase the value of us, the Children of Adam, in every sense. While the juxtaposition of opposites implies harmony, a balance; when these two words with opposite meanings are juxtaposed, they form the world’s most marvelous mismatched pair, leading to a state of multiplication, ascension and exaltation. Whoever possesses this trait gains incalculable profit; in the account of al-Qarîm.
We all have to sacrifice many things in order to earn Allah’s pleasure. Look at our prayers; they are all about giving up something, giving up doing something. Prayer is the sacrifice of the sweetest times for Allah, fasting is the sacrifice of various tastes and flavors. Zakat is a sacrifice of our wealth. Hajj is a sacrifice of time, wealth and various delicacies. It seems that our life was built on sacrifice from the very beginning.
There are all kinds of sacrifices in daily life. Heaven is laid at the feet of devoted mothers. Happy homes are built on mutual sacrifice. Rightful struggles were won by sacrificing property and lives. The best friendships are built on sacrifice, and those friends increase, elevate and ennoble each other. Because they sacrificed the “I” to become the “second of two” while they were the “one”. Because they said, “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you.” Because they said, “May my life be sacrificed for your path,” and because they gave up on themselves to the point of saying, “Make my body so big in the Hereafter that it will cover all of hell.” They have been exalted to the point of hearing the words “I am pleased with him, is he pleased with me?” in return for what they sacrificed (see Kenzu al-Ummal, h. No: 35649).
And yet, now I see that there are no such self-sacrificing mothers, friendships, marriages or struggles left. Mothers don’t make rag dolls for their daughters, it’s easier to buy them at the toy store. Fathers don’t build wooden cars for their sons, they give them money to go play on the playstation. Spouses slam the door at the slightest fault of each other and send their lawyers. Friends don’t do each other favors for nothing – and I don’t know if such people can be called friends – or allow favors to be done because they expect something in return. Unable to tolerate the neighbor’s small child running around the house, the other neighbor comes to her door with an ultimatum to have her thrown out of the apartment. The little ones don’t give space to the big ones on the buses. Children do not leave their computers, tablets and phones and bring their parents a glass of water. A teacher cannot ask a student to bring a book he/she forgot in the teachers’ lounge. The student cannot ask a question to the teacher sipping tea during recess. In short, no one has anything left to sacrifice for anyone. And are we happy living this way? No, no, no. We all complain about the selfishness of our children, our parents, our friends, our neighbors, those we share the same environments with. But no one makes the sacrifice to question why we are in this situation and to take a step on their own behalf. When we cannot sacrifice, beauty cannot be realized. We linger at the door of complaint.
Of course, I didn’t say all this to explain the etymology and morphology of a word. I sacrificed my time to take my tea, put my feet up and watch TV to write this article with the intention of reminding us of this trait that we have recently removed from our lives. My back and neck ached from bending over while writing, and my eyes were tired. But I have no complaints. Because I know I will be repaid many times over. I am practicing a profession that requires sacrifice, and the more I sacrifice, the more the profit will come to me. I believe
