Jakarta, NU Online
Zakat, Infaq and Sadaqah Collection Agency of Nahdlatul Ulama (LAZISNU) in cooperation with energy drink manufacturing industry Extra Joss will distribute 1 billion qurban in the form of 56 cows.<>

At a ceremony held at the NU's headquarters on Sunday (13/10), the representative of Extra Joss Simon Gunawan handed over the sacrificial animals to the General Chairman of NU KH Said Aqil Siroj.

Simon asserted, by slaughtering the sacrificial animals and distributing to the poor and needy is a form of faith, and "it is a real action which is beneficial to others."

In jokingly, Simon said that he wanted to involve Kiai Said in the advertisement of Bintang Tujuh Masuk Angin/Jamu Masuk Angin (traditional medicine for cold) becuase NU followers (Nahdliyin) are the most lucky (bejo) individuals.

Kiai Said Aqil insisted, qurban is an obligation for those who are able to afford it. He described the story behind the emergence of the sacrificial tradition, which comes from Prophet Ibrahim, which in Hebrew means people's father.

Ibrahim was a wanderer. With his family, he crossed the river of Jordan. Here is the origin of word Hebrew which means a successful pedestrian.

Unfortunately, Abraham 's first wife was barren, so Prophet Ibrahim married Egypt's Sarah, who later became pregnant and gave birth to a baby named Ismail, that means a person who heard the call of God.

Prophet Ibrahim dreamt that God ordered him to sacrifice his only son, Ismail. In his devotion to God, Ibrahim agreed to follow his dream and perform the sacrifice. But God intervened and sent a ram to be sacrificed in Ismail’s place. Ismail was spared because Ibrahim proved he would sacrifice his son as an act of piety, despite the loss it would have caused him. The continued practice acts as a reminder of Ibrahim’s obedience to God.

Performed annually during the three days of the Idul Adha (on the 10th, 11th and 12th of the Islamic month of Zilhijjah), the primary objective of the qurban is to remind of the spirit of self-sacrifice shown by the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and to submit oneself to the will of God.

While it is compulsory for all able muslims to perform this act of faith, social aspect of the qurban distribution is to feed the poor and needy with meat of the animals sacrificed on a yearly basis.

Reporting by Mukafi Niam; Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq