And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.
When Ibrahim and Ismael were ready to sacrifice and be sacrificed, Allah provided a male goat to be sacrificed instead of Ismael. This sacrifice is commemorated by Muslims during Eidul Adh’ha, where animals are sacrificed every year.
The purpose of sacrifice is to declare that one is ready to give up anything that Allah has bestowed in His satisfaction. Ibrahim loved his son Ismael more than anything in this world, which is why he was commanded to sacrifice him. The message of the sacrifice is that each individual should proclaim their readiness to utilize anything they have in the path of Allah. The Fujjar—the original disbelievers mentioned in verses 4: 150-151—who do not identify the soul using Adhikr—the Insight—will not benefit from slaughtering livestock. Instead, they will be punished in Hellfire for preventing the glorification and praise of those livestock, as explained in verses 17: 44; 22: 37; and 24: 41. Since there is no group of believers anywhere in the world today, the best sacrifice in the way of Allah is to utilize all favors bestowed by the Lord to propagate Adhikr, which is the Balance and Trust that keeps the universe in equilibrium among mankind, regardless of nation, caste, religion, sex, or color. See explanation 3: 92; 22: 37, 78; 39: 36-37.