The Companions (Sahabah), the Successors (Tabi’in), and the Followers of the Successors (Atba’ al-Tabi’in) are the true Salaf (pious predecessors) whose understanding is a binding proof (Hujjah) and takes precedence over the understanding of all subsequent jurists and Imams.
Furthermore, even among these Salaf, the understanding of the Companions takes precedence over the understanding of the later Tabi’in and Atba’ al-Tabi’in.
During the era of the Companions, there is evidence that Zakat was given on buffaloes, but there is absolutely no evidence that the sacrifice of a buffalo was ever performed.
Therefore, the sacrifice of a buffalo, which is purely an act of worship, has no proof in the Quran and Hadith, nor is there any evidence for it from the era of the Companions (the true Salaf). Thus, those who practice this are neither upon the Quran and Hadith nor upon the methodology (Manhaj) of the Salaf.
① The statement of the Tabi’i, Umar bin Abdul Aziz (d. 101 AH):
أنا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عُقَيْلٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، كَتَبَ «أَنْ تُؤْخَذَ، صَدَقَةُ الْجَوَامِيسِ كَمَا تُؤْخَذُ صَدَقَةُ الْبَقَرِ»[ الأموال لابن زنجويه 2/ 851 الأموال لأبي عبيد ص476 وإسناده صحيح ، ابن زنجويه وأبو عبيد من الحفاظ]
The Umayyad Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) issued a decree: “Zakat on buffaloes should be collected just as Zakat on cows is collected.”
The author of Fadl al-Rahim al-Wadud, while declaring this chain authentic (Sahih), wrote:
«وهذا مقطوع على الخليفة عمر بن عبد العزيز بسند صحيح.»
“This is a decree from Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz with an authentic chain.”
[فضل الرحيم الودود تخريج سنن أبي داود 19/ 463 ]
② The statement of the Tabi’i, Imam Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH):
حَدَّثنا مُعَاذُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يقول: الجواميس بمنزلة البقر[ مصنف ابن أبي شيبة : -كتاب الزكاة: باب في الجواميس تعد في الصدقة ، 6/ 406 وإسناده صحيح ، أشعث هو ابن عبدالملك وهو ثقة]
Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
« الجواميس بمنزلة البقر» , “Buffaloes are in the same category/status as cows.”
Note: The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were alive until the deaths of the Tabi’in Umar bin Abdul Aziz and Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on them).
Warning:
In “Masa’il al-Imam Ahmad wa Ishaq,” it is written without a chain of narration and without any reference:
«قال الحسن: تذبح عن سبعة »
“Hasan said: It (a buffalo) can be sacrificed on behalf of seven people.”
[ مسائل الإمام أحمد وإسحاق بن راهويه 8/ 4027]
The submission is that:
Neither Imam Ishaq (born after 170 AH) nor Imam Ahmad (born 164 AH) – may Allah have mercy on them – are proven to have ever met Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH). Rather, both of these Imams were born several years after the death of Hasan al-Basri.
Therefore, this statement is rejected due to lacking a chain of narration and a proper reference.
The researcher (Muhaqqiq) of this book wrote in the footnote:
«لم أعثر على قول الحسن البصري رحمه الله فيما رجعت إليه من مراجع، إلا أن ابن قدامة نقل عنه قوله: إن البدنة تجزئ عن سبعة، وكذلك البقرة»
“I did not find this statement of Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) in the references I consulted, except that Ibn Qudamah narrated from him his statement: ‘A camel suffices for seven, and similarly, a cow.'”
[ مسائل الإمام أحمد وإسحاق بن راهويه 8/ 4027 ]
It is possible that this meaning was derived from Hasan al-Basri’s statement “A cow can have seven shares,” assuming that his stance on buffaloes is the same.
However, this specific statement is not proven in any way; therefore, it is rejected.
③ The statement of the Tabi’i, Ikrimah bin Khalid bin al-Aas al-Makhzumi (may Allah have mercy on him, d. after 115 AH):
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْأَعْلَى، عَنْ دَاوُدَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ: ”اسْتُعْمِلْتُ عَلَى صَدَقَاتِ عَكٍّ، فَلَقِيتُ أَشْيَاخًا مِمَّنْ صَدَّقَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَسَأَلْتُهُمْ، فَاخْتَلَفُوا عَلَيَّ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: اجْعَلْهَا مِثْلَ صَدَقَةِ الْإِبِلِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: فِي ثَلَاثِينَ تَبِيعٌ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: فِي أَرْبَعِينَ بَقَرَةٌ مُسِنَّةٌ، وَالْجَوَامِيسُ تُعَدُّ فِي الصَّدَقَةِ كَالْأَبَاقِيرِ“[مصنف ابن أبي شيبة، ت الحوت: 2/ 433 رقم 10748 وإسناده صحيح إلي عكرمة بن خالد وقال الحافظ ابن حجر في الدراية (1/ 252 ) : وإسناده صحيح]
Ikrimah bin Khalid (may Allah have mercy on him), after narrating a tradition, says at the end:
«وَالْجَوَامِيسُ تُعَدُّ فِي الصَّدَقَةِ كَالْأَبَاقِيرِ» Meaning, “Buffaloes are counted like cows in Zakat (charity).”
① The statement of Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 161 AH):
عبد الرزاق، عَنِ الثَّوْريِّ قَالَ:…وَتُحْسَبُ الْجَوَامِيسُ مَعَ الْبَقَرِ …[ مصنف عبد الرزاق:-کتاب الزکاۃ : باب البقر ، 4/ 337 وإسناده صحيح]
Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “(In Zakat) buffaloes will be calculated along with cows.”
Warning:
In “Masa’il al-Imam Ahmad wa Ishaq,” it is written without a chain of narration and without a reference:
قال سفيان :… «والجواميس تجزئ عن سبعة »
“Sufyan al-Thawri said: Buffaloes suffice for seven individuals.”
[مسائل أحمد وإبن راهويه، ن دار الهجرة: 2/ 374]
The submission is that:
Neither Imam Ishaq (born after 170 AH) nor Imam Ahmad (born 164 AH) – may Allah have mercy on them – are proven to have met Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 161 AH). Instead, both Imams were born several years after the death of Sufyan al-Thawri.
Therefore, this statement is rejected due to lacking a chain of narration and a reference.
② The statement of Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 150 AH):
His student Abu Yusuf narrates on his behalf:
« والجواميس والبخت بمنزلة الإبل والبقر» [الخراج لأبي يوسف :- فصل: في الصدقات،ص: 90]
Meaning, Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Buffaloes and Bukhati (two-humped) camels are in the status of cows and camels.”
Warning:
The Hanafis believe in the permissibility of buffalo sacrifice, but no such statement is proven from Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him).
③ The statement of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 179 AH):
«وكذلك البقر والجواميس، تجمع في الصدقة على ربها. وقال: إنما هي بقر كلها » [موطأ مالك ت عبد الباقي: 1/ 260]
“And similarly, cows and buffaloes, they will be combined together for their owner in [calculating] Zakat. And he said: They are all considered cows.”
Warning:
The Malikis believe in the permissibility of buffalo sacrifice, but no such statement is proven from Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him).
It should be clear that the permissibility of buffalo sacrifice is proven from the statements of Imam al-Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on them), but both of these scholars are neither Companions, nor Tabi’in, nor among the Atba’ al-Tabi’in.
Some scholars have counted Imam al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) among the “Atba’ al-Tabi’in,” but there is no evidence for this. There is no narration found that proves Imam al-Shafi’i met any Tabi’i or narrated any tradition from one.
This is why Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) placed Imam al-Shafi’i in the category of the “Atba’ Atba’ al-Tabi’in” (Followers of the Followers of the Successors). See: [الثقات لابن حبان ط االعثمانية: 9/ 30]
Respected readers!
In all the aforementioned references, you can see that the Salaf included the buffalo (Jamoos) under “cow” (Baqar) regarding the issue of Zakat.
However, there is absolutely no proof that the Salaf included the buffalo in the category of “cow” for the issue of sacrifice as well. Therefore, there is no evidence for the sacrifice of a buffalo.
Those individuals who advocate for its sacrifice by considering the buffalo included in the general meaning of “cow” are presenting an understanding of the text that contradicts the understanding of the Salaf.
For this reason, in light of the Quran and Hadith, and the methodology and understanding of the Salaf, the sacrifice of a buffalo is not correct. And Allah knows best.
(Kifayatullah Sanabali)
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