The Honour of Prophets — Page 17
17 nasikah ( نَسِیْکَہ ) means sacrifice, and the word nusuk ( نُسُک ) which appears in this verse, is its plural form. Furthermore, this word also means worship. Hence, the word employed here applies to both meanings: worship and sacrifice. This demonstrates that worship in its perfect form, in which a person’s ego, creation at large, and worldly means have no part, is in fact a sac rifice; furthermore, perfect sacrifice is actually perfect worship. The verse then states: “My life as well as my death is for God. ” This last phrase is an elaboration of the word ‘sacrifice’ so that no one misconstrues this to imply the slaughtering of a goat, cow or camel; and so that it is clearly understood that the words “my life and my death is for God alone,” signify that the purport of sacrifice in this instance is actually the sacrifice of one’s soul. The word qurbani ( قُرْبَانِی ) or sacrifice is taken from qurb ( قُرْب ), which means nearness and this alludes to the fact that the nearness of God is attained when all the desires and passions of the flesh are slain. In short, this verse is a great proof of the Holy Prophet’s perfect nearness to God. It serves as strong proof of the perfect divine nearness of the Holy Prophet, peace and bless ings of Allah be upon him. The verse in discussion states that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had become so absorbed and lost in God that