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Rulings
of ‘Udhiyah (Sacrifice)
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’Udhiyah
is one of the great rituals of Islam, in which we remember the
Unity of Allah, His Blessings upon us and the obedience of our
father Ibrahim to His Lord, and in this act of ‘Udhiyah there is
much goodness and blessing. So the Muslim must pay attention to its
great importance.
The
following is a brief look at this important ritual.
‘Udhiyah
refers to the animal (camel, cattle or sheep) that is sacrificed as
an act of worship to Allah, in the country in which the person
offering the sacrifice lives, during the period from after the `Eid
prayer on the Day of Nahr (`Eid Al-Adha) until the last of the Days
of Tashreeq (the 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah), with the intention of
offering sacrifice. Allah Almighty says, “Therefore turn in
prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).” (Al-Kawthar: 2)
“Say
(O Muhammad): ‘Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my
dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinns and
all that exists).” (Al-An’am : 162)
“And
for every nation, We have appointed religious ceremonies, that they
may mention the Name of Allah over the beast of cattle that He has
given them for food. And your God is One God, so you must submit to
Him Alone (in Islam)…” (Al-Hajj: 34)
‘Udhiyyah
is a confirmed Sunnah according to the majority of scholars. The
basic principle is that it is required at the appointed time from
one who is alive on behalf of himself and the members of his
household, and he may include in the reward for it whoever he
wishes, living or dead. With regard to ‘Udhiyah on behalf of one
who is dead, if the deceased bequeathed up to one third of his
wealth for that purpose, or included it in his waqf (endowment),
then these wishes must be carried out, otherwise, if a person
wishes to offer a sacrifice on behalf of someone who has died, this
is a good deed and is considered to be giving charity on behalf of
the dead. But the Sunnah is for a man to include the members of his
household, living and deed, in his ‘Udhiyah, and when he
slaughters it, he should say, “Allahumma hadha ‘anni wa ‘an
ali bayti (O Allah, this is on behalf of myself and the members of
my household” - he does not have to make a separate sacrifice on
behalf of every deceased person.
The
scholars agreed that sacrificing the animal and giving its meat in
charity is better than giving its value in charity, because the
Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to make the
sacrifice, and he did not do anything but that which is best and
most befitting. This is the opinion of Abu Haneefah, Ash-Shafi`i
and Ahmad.
The
Virtues of ‘Udhiyah and the Best of ‘Udhiyah:
A
sheep is good enough as a sacrifice for one man and the members of
his household and his children, because of the Hadith of Abu Ayyoub:
“At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be
upon him), a man would sacrifice a sheep on behalf of himself and
the members of his household, and they would eat from it and give
some to others.” (Reported by Ibn Majah and al-Tirmidhi, who
classed it as Sahih ‘Authentic’)
The
kinds of animals prescribed for sacrifice are camels, cattle and
sheep. Some of the scholars said that the best sacrifice is camels,
then cattle, then sheep, then a share in a she-camel or cow,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said
concerning Friday prayers: “Whoever goes to [Friday prayers]
early, it is equivalent to him sacrificing a camel.” This is the
opinion of the three imams Abu Hanifah, ash-Shafi`i and Ahmad. On
this basis, a sheep is better than one-seventh of a camel or cow.
Malik said that the best is a young sheep, then a cow then a camel,
because the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) sacrificed two
rams, and he never did anything but that which was the best. The
response to that is that he (peace and blessings be upon him),
always chose what was more appropriate out of kindness towards his
Ummah, because they would follow his example, and he did not want
to make things difficult for them.
A
camel or cow is enough for seven people, because of the report
narrated by Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “We
sacrificed at al-Hudaybiyah with the Prophet (peace and blessing be
upon him), a camel for seven and a cow for seven.” According to
one version: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon
him) commanded us to share camels and cattle, each seven men
sharing one animal.” According to another version: “So a cow
would be sacrificed on behalf of seven men and we would share
it.” (Reported by Muslim)
Ruling
of ‘Udhiyah:
‘Udhiyah
is one of the rituals of Islam. It is mentioned in Jawahir al-Ikleel
Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel that if the people of a city or country
neglect ‘Udhiyah, they should be fought, because it is one of the
rituals of Islam. (Rasa’il Fiqhiyyah by Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, p.
46). There are two scholarly opinions on ‘Udhiyah:
(A)
that it is wajib (obligatory). This is the opinion of Al-Awza`i,
Al-Layth and Abu Hanifah, and it is one of the two opinions
narrated from Imam Ahmad. It was also the opinion of Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, and is one of the two opinions in the
madhhab of Malik, or is what seems to be the madhhab of Malik.
Those who favor this opinion take the following as evidence:
1.
The verse: “Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and
sacrifice (to Him only).” (Al-Kawthar: 2). This is a command,
and a command implies that something is obligatory.
2.
The Hadith of Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
said: ‘Whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before he prays, let
him slaughter another one in its place, and whoever did not
slaughter a sacrifice, let him do so in the name of Allah.’”
(Reported by Muslim, 3621)
3.
The Hadith: “Whoever can afford to offer a sacrifice but does
not do so, let him not approach our place or prayer.”
(Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah; classed as Sahih by al-Hakim
from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It says in Fath al-Bari that its men are thiqat).
(B)
that it is a confirmed Sunnah. This is the opinion of the majority,
and it is the madhhab of Ash-Shafi`i and the better-known opinion
of Malik and Ahmad. But most of those who favor this opinion stated
that it is disliked for the one who is able to offer a sacrifice to
neglect to do so. They base their opinion on the following:
1.
The Hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sunan Abi
Dawud, where he said: “I prayed on `Eid Al-Adha with the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and when he finished (the prayer), he was brought two rams, and
he sacrificed them. He said, ‘In the Name of Allah, Allah is
Most Great. This is on behalf of myself and any member of my
Ummah who did not offer a sacrifice.” (Sunan Abi Dawud bi
Sharh Muhammad Shams al-Haq Abadi, 7/486)
2.
The Hadith reported by all the famous muhadditheen apart from
al-Bukhari: “Whoever among you wants to offer a sacrifice, let
him not take anything from his hair or nails.” Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen, said, following his discussion of those who say it
is obligatory and those who say it is Sunnah, “Each point of
view has its evidence, but to be on the safe side, the one who
is able to offer a sacrifice should not neglect to do so,
because of what is involved in this act of reverence towards
Allah, remembering Him, and making sure that one has nothing to
be blamed for.
3.
Conditions of ‘Udhiyah:
1.
The animal should have reached the required age, which is six
months for a lamb, one year for a goat, two years for a cow and
five years for a camel.
2.
It should be free of any faults, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said: “There are four that will not do
for sacrifice: a one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick
animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is
obvious and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its
bones.” (Sahih, Sahih al-Jami’, no. 886). There are milder
defects that do not disqualify an animal, but it is disliked to
sacrifice such animals, such as an animal with a horn or ear
missing, or an animal with slits in its ears, etc. ‘Udhiyah is
an act of worship to Allah, and Allah is Good and accepts only
that which is good. Whoever honors the rites of Allah, this has
to do with the piety of the heart.
3.
It is forbidden to sell it. If an animal has been selected for
sacrifice, it is not permissible to sell it or give it away,
except in exchange for one that is better. If an animal gives
birth, its offspring should be sacrificed along with it. It is
also permissible to ride it if necessary. The evidence for this
is the report narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu
Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man
leading his camel and told him, “Ride it.” He said, “It is
for sacrifice.” He said, “Ride it” a second or third time.
4.
It should be sacrificed at the specified time, which is from
after the prayer and khutbah of `Eid - not from when the time
for the prayer and Khutbah starts - until before sunset on the
last of the days of Tashreeq, which is the 13th day of
Dhul-Hijjah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Whoever sacrifices before the prayer, let him repeat it.”
(Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim). ‘Ali (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: “The days of Nahr (Sacrifice) are the
day of Al-Adha and the three days following it.” This is also
the opinion of al-Hasan al-Basri, `Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, Al-Awza`i,
Ash-Shafi`i and Ibn al-Mundhir, may Allah have mercy on them
all.
What
should be done with the sacrifice?:
1.
It is preferable for the one who has made a sacrifice to not eat
anything on that day before he eats from it, if this is
possible, because of the Hadith, “Let every man eat from his
sacrifice.” (Classed as Sahih in Sahih al-Jami’, 5349). This
eating should be after the `Eid prayer and khutbah. This is the
opinion of the scholars, including ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbas, Malik,
Ash-Shafi`i and others. The evidence for this is the Hadith of
Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) would not go out on the day of Fitr
until he had eaten, and he would not eat on the day of Adha
until he had slaughtered (his sacrifice).” (Al-Albani said:
its isnad is Sahih. Al-Mishkat, 1/452).
2.
It is better for a person to slaughter the sacrifice himself,
but if he does not, it is desirable for him to be present when
it is slaughtered.
3.
It is desirable to divide the meat into three: one third to be
eaten, one third to be given as gifts and one third to be given
in charity. This was the opinion of Ibn Mas`ud and Ibn ‘Umar
(may Allah be pleased with them). The scholars agreed that it is
not permissible to sell anything from its meat, fat or skin. In
a Sahih Hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
said: “Whoever sells the skin of his ‘Udhiyah, there is no
‘Udhiyah for him (i.e., it is not counted as ‘Udhiyah).”
The butcher should not be given anything of it by way of reward
or payment, because ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
commanded me to take care of the sacrifice and to give its meat,
skin and raiment ( covering used for protection ) in charity,
and not to give anything of it to the butcher as a compensation.
He said, ‘We will give him something from what we have.’”
It was said that it is permissible to give the butcher something
as a gift, and that it is also permissible to give some of it to
a non-Muslim if he is poor or a relative or a neighbor, or in
order to open his heart to Islam.
What
should the Muslim avoid in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah if he
wants to offer a sacrifice?
The
Sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice must
refrain from taking anything from his hair, nails or skin from the
first day of Dhul-Hijjah until he offers his sacrifice, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When you see the
new moon of Dhul-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a
sacrifice, let him not remove anything from his hair or nails until
he has offered his sacrifice.” According to another report:
“Let him not touch any part of his hair or nails.” This command
implies obligation and the prohibition implies that it is
forbidden, according to the most correct opinion, because these are
absolutes with no exceptions. If a person deliberately takes
something (from his hair or nails), he must seek the forgiveness of
Allah, but he does not have to pay any fidyah, and his ‘Udhiyah
is still valid. Whoever needs to remove some of his hair or nails
because leaving it will cause him harm, such as a torn nail or a
wound in a site covered by hair, should remove it, and there is no
sin on him if he does so. This is not more serious than the muhrim
(person in ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah) who is allowed to shave if
not doing so will cause him harm. There is nothing wrong with men
and women washing their hair during the first ten days of
Dhul-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
only forbade removing hair, and because the muhrim is allowed to
wash his head.
The
wisdom behind the prohibition on removing hair and nails is because
the one who is going to offer a sacrifice is like the one who is in
ihram for Hajj and ‘Umrah with regard to some rituals, which is
the offering of a sacrifice in order to draw closer to Allah. Thus
some of the rulings of ihram apply to the one who wants to offer a
sacrifice, so he should not touch his hair and nails until he has
slaughtered his sacrifice, in the hope that Allah will release him
from the fire of Hell. And Allah knows best.
If
a person removes some of his hair and nails during the first ten
days of Dhul-Hijjah because he is not planning to offer a
sacrifice, then he decides to sacrifice, he should refrain from
cutting his hair or nails from the moment he takes the decision.
There
are some women who delegate their brothers or sons to do the
sacrifice on their behalf so that they can cut their hair during
the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. This is not correct, because the
ruling applies to the one who is making the sacrifice, whether he
or she delegates someone else to do the actual slaughter or not.
The prohibition does not apply to the person appointed, it applies
to the person who wants to offer a sacrifice on behalf of himself,
as is indicated by the Hadith. As for the person who is doing the
sacrifice on behalf of another, whether because of a will or
because he has been delegated to do so, the prohibition does not
apply to him.
It
is apparent that this prohibition applies to the one who is
offering the sacrifice, and does not extend to his wife or
children, unless one of them is offering a sacrifice on his or her
own behalf. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to
sacrifice on behalf of the family of Muhammad, and it was not
reported that he forbade them to remove anything of their hair or
nails.
Whoever
is planning to offer a sacrifice, then decides to go for Hajj,
should not remove anything of his hair or nails when he wants to
enter ihram, because this is Sunnah only when there is a need for
it. But if he is doing Hajj “tamattu’” [where one performs
‘Umrah, then ends ihram and enters a new state of ihram for
Hajj], he should shorten his hair when he finishes ‘Umrah because
that is part of the ritual.
The
things that are forbidden for the person who wants to offer a
sacrifice are reported in the Hadith quoted above. It is not
forbidden for him to wear perfume or to have intercourse with his
wife or to wear sewn garments and so on.
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