Appeasing God with child sacrifice
- Paigham Mustafa
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
By Paigham Mustafa
Did God decree a human sacrifice? It seems strange that the Quran never decrees futile rituals, but people believe God is appeased by a sacrifice.
Abraham's dream to sacrifice his own son:
“Abraham said, "I am going to the One who Sustains me, He will guide me." "My Sustainer, grant me upright children. “We gave him good news of a righteous child. When he grew old enough to work with him, he said, "My son, I saw in a dream that I am sacrificing you. What do you think?" He said, "O my father, do what you are commanded to do. You will find me, God willing, patient." They both were in agreement and he put his son's forehead down to prepare him for sacrifice.”
“We called him: "O Abraham. You believed your dream, in sincerity," We thus reward the righteous. That was an exacting test indeed. We exchanged for him greatness in place of regression. And We preserved his history for subsequent generations. Peace be upon Abraham. We thus reward the righteous. He is one of Our believing servants.”
[The Quran 37:99-111]
THE QURAN
You shall not kill your children: verse 17:31.Meat or blood does not reach God, it is righteousness: verse 22:37.
Abraham saw in his dream that he was sacrificing his son, it was not a command from God: verses 37:99-109.
The annual festival of Eid-ul-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” people believe signifies the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son and was commanded by God.
At the last minute, Abraham's son was saved, and a sheep was sent as a substitute.
For this reason, after the yearly pilgrimage rituals to Mecca have taken place, a lamb or a sheep is sacrificed by the devoted worldwide.
But did God decree a human sacrifice?
The idea of sacrificing his own son transpired from Abraham's dream, which he sincerely believed he should carry out. However, God did not command him to do this.
God does not command regressive acts. Had it been God's command, Abraham would have been sure and would not have needed to ask his son's opinion.
If we say that the dream was a vision from God, then the verses describing this incident conflict with other verses. For example, the command not to kill your children (The Quran 6:151), no believer should kill another believer (The Quran 4:92).
In verse 4:79 we are told that, "Anything good that happens to you is from God and anything bad that happens to you is a result of your own work."
Since for Abraham to sacrifice his son was a bad idea, it was not from God. Many religious cults in the past and even today have child sacrifice rituals.
Anyone who speaks out against such barbaric acts can become more demonised than those who perform it. See verse 42:30.
Furthermore, blood sacrifice means nothing:
"Neither their meat nor their blood reaches God. What ascends to Him is your righteousness that you preserve and safeguard.” [The Quran 22:37].
It is actions of good conduct that are important, not rituals.
© 2026 Paigham Mustafa
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paigham Mustafa has been engaged in the study and research of the Quran since 1988 and has contributed to the print media for over 37 years. His first major work, The Quran: God’s Message to Mankind, was published in 2016, followed by The Divine Blueprint in 2022. He is also the author of How To Be Human, published in 2025. His exegesis of the Quran often challenges traditional readings, offering instead a reasoned and objective analysis of the original text. His works provide essential guidance, helping readers gain a clearer, more informed understanding of Islam. This helps address many of the issues that stem from misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and misconceptions
The Quran NME
This is a rendition that is Accurate, Authoritative,
and Accessible in a way that others are not.
Comments