The Conditions and Defects of Sacrificial Animals in Islam: A Hadith Explanation

Understanding the Islamic Guidelines for Udhiyah (Sacrificial Animals)

What has come concerning sacrifices, 2nd Lesson | Benefits from Muntaqaa Ibn Al-Jarood

بســـم اللــه الرحــمــن الـرحـــيــم

By our Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu ‘Abdirrahman Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajoori – may Allaah preserve him –

(Clarification of the age of the sacrificial animal for Eid Ul-Adhaa which is acceptable from the beasts of cattle).

¤ The restrictions of its type:

And it is from the beasts of cattle  (camels, cows, sheep).

¤ Restriction of its age because the small one is not accepted.

¤ The obligatory that it is doesn’t go below the designated age mentioned in the hadith and other than it.

¤ Desirable that it is fat and free from defects (minor and major)

And it is considered good to choose its colour, Al-Amlah which has in it white and black, but the white is more.

And that the Prophet ﷺ sought that (one), and that the sacrificial animal (for Eid Ul-Adhaa) is from the symbols of islaam.

918 – Al-Hasan bin Muhammad Az-Za’faraani narrated to us, he said Shabbaabah narrated to us, he said, Zuhair narrated to us, on the authority of Abee Zubair, on the authority of Jaabir may Allaah be pleased with him, he said the Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not slaughter except a musinnah(one in the first year entering into the second), unless it becomes difficult upon you (to find one), so then slaughter a jadh’ah (sheep ranging from 6months to a year) from the dha’n (sheep with wool fur).”

The hadith is authentic

The men in the chain⬇️

¤ Al-Hasan bin Muhammad Az-Za’faraani thiqqah (trustworthy)

Shabbaabah: bin Siwaar thiqqah haafidh. There is no other Siwaar in ‘Taqreeb’ except him.

Benefit

<< The book ‘Taqreeb’ comprises the men of the six books (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasaa’i, Ibn Majah), and extra. So this book is a treasure.

Excellent piece of work by Ibn Hajar, and indeed he caused great benefit with this ‘Taqreeb’, he ruled on every man with what was befitting.>>

Zuhair bin Mu’aawiyah

Ibn Khadeej (Abu Khaithamah)

On the authority of Jaabir bin Abdillah may Allaah be pleased with him.

919 – Muhammad bin Abdillah bin Abdil-Hakm narrated to us, that Ibn Wahb informed them, he said, Amr bin Al-Haarith informed me, that Bukair bin Abdillah bin Ashajj narrated to him, that Mu’aadh bin Abdillah bin Khabeeb Al-Juhani narrated to him, on the authority of Uqbah bin Aamir Al-Juhani, he said: “We slaughtered with the Prophet ﷺ with Jidhaa’a (sheeps ranging from 6months to a year) from the dha’n (sheep with wool fur).”

The chain of the hadeeth

Apparently the chain is hasan (good), and Ibn Qattaan criticized it due to the ‘an’anah (saying on the authority of instead of narrated to us) of Ibn Zubair, on the authority of Jaabir and this is not accepted. But the point of benefit is this hadith is in Muslim and the ummah have accepted the authenticity of Sahih Muslim.

Explanation of the hadith

¤ And his statement does not slaughter except a musinnah, meaning its two front teeth and its molar teeth have become apparent.

¤ And the musinnah is the thaniyy (the two front teeth have become apparent) and this is agreed upon

¤ And it is said (it is) what has entered into the third year.

And likewise the cow and camel in their fifth year.

▪️And this is the madhab of Imaam Ahmed.

Imaam An-Nawawi said: A jadh’a from other than the dha’n is not allowed under any circumstance by unanimous agreement.

¤ Our Shaykh said: The consensus is broken by Ataa’a and Al-Awzaa’ee.

¤ Ibn Abdil-Barr said they unanimously agreed that a thaniyy and whatever is older than it is acceptable from all beasts of cattle, the consensus was relayed by Ibn Hazm in ‘Al-Maraatib’ and Ibn Hubairah in ‘Al-Ifsaah’.

¤ And other than a thaniyy there is a difference.

And his statement jadh’ah (sheep ranging between 6months to a year) from the dha’n (sheep with wool fur)

Al-Haafidh said: the majority of scholars see its acceptability

 ¤ and it is said it is what has completed a year, and it is said 6months,

¤ And it said 8 months, and many (other) statements concerning it…..

And it is said (it is) according to how big or small the animal is, and it is said it depends on its mother if she is of old age or in good condition.

➡️ Shaykh Yahya may Allaah preserve him deemed to be the correct opinion what has reached a year and is going into the second

And An-Nawawi said: this is the most correct opinion with the Shaafi’eeyyah, and the most apparent with the linguists.

¤ And the Shaykh said this is the best speech.

Al-Jadh’ from the dha’n is accepted, this is the statement of the majority of the people of knowledge.

Whether other than it is found or not, due to the hadith of Majaashi’ bin Mas’ood (*The jadh’ah fulfills what the thaniyy fulfills*) and it is in Sahih Al Musnad

And his statement: ‘Except if it becomes difficult for you’ : is not upon its apparent and its meaning is that it is better that you seek that (type)

➡️ Al-Jadh’a from the mi’z (goat with non wool fur) is not accepted, except in the situation where it is difficult to find a jadh’ah from the dha’n, due to his statement except if it becomes difficult upon you and in another narration except if you are incapable.

Al-Qurtubi said due to his statement it is not accepted for anyone other than you.

➡️ Ataa’a and Awzaa’ee opposed and they broke the consensus.

Al-Haafidh said: Verily the jadh’ah from the mi’z is not accepted and this is the opinion of the majority

Ataa’a and Awzaa’ee said it is allowed without restriction

Our Shaykh may Allaah preserve him said: the jadh’ah from the mi’z, is allowed during incapability, and the absence of other than it, *and this is good speech*

Conclusion of what has preceded📚

¤ That it is a condition that the sacrificial animal is a musinnah

¤ That the jadh’ah from the dha’n is allowed with the presence of a musinnah and other than it by consensus.

That it is better that it is a musinnah due to the action of the Prophet ﷺ.

The majority do not allow a jadh’ah from the beasts of cattle except the dha’n.

Ataa’a and Awzaa’ee opposed and both said that the Prophet ﷺ permitted Abi Burda bin Niyaar and Uqbah bin Aamir in a state of difficulty.

➡️ The statement of Ataa’a and Awzaa’ee has an angle, so their statement breaks the consensus, and their statement is not shaadh (irregular) and that the jadh’ah from the mi’z is slaughtered in the period of incapability.

Due to the hadith of Uqbah bin Aamir and the hadith of Abi Burda bin Niyaar.

Benefit

The fidyah (animal slaughtered for expiation), aqeeqah (animal slaughtered for newborn), do not have the same conditions as the sacrificial animal.

(What is avoided from the defects in the sacrificial animal)

920 – Alee bin Al-Khashram narrated to us, he said Abu Bakr bin Ayyaash informed us, he said, Muhammad bin Hisham narrated to us, he said Abu Bakr narrated to us, on the authority of Abee Ishaaq, on the authority of Shuraih bin An-Nu’maan Al-Hamdaani that Alee may Allaah be pleased with him said: “The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ prohibited to slaughter with a muqaabalah or mudaabarah or sharqaa’a or kharqaa’a or jad’aa’a.”

Men of the chain

Abu Bakr Ayyaash thiqqah aabid, he has two of his students in this hadeeth Alee bin Al-Khashram and Muhammad bin Hisham.

Muhammad bin Hisham at-Taaliqaani, thiqqah

On the authority of Abee Ishaaq and he is As-Subai’ee Amr bin Abdillah bin Ubaid, thiqqah, mukhti (appearing frequently), he became senile in his later ages.

The hadith on its apparent is hasan according to the author due to Shuraih bin An-Nu’maan

¤ And the hadith has been deemed defective due to the following:

  • 1 – The hearing of Abi Bakr from Abee Ishaq is not that strong.
  • 2 – The chain is severed between Abee Ishaq and his Shaykh but the middleman is thiqqah.

¤ The hadith is defectious by waqf (stopping at a sahaabi) and it being raised (to the Prophet ﷺ) is not established *and what is correct is it being mawqoof as mentioned by Al-Haafidh.*

The descriptions mentioned in this hadeeth.

Muqaabalah: that which the front part of the ear has been cut off and it is left hanging.

Mudaabarah: that which the back part of the ear has been cut off and it is left hanging.

 Sharqaa’a: that which both of its ears have been pierced.

Kharqaa’a: that which has circumambulated earrings in both ears.

¤ Al-Jad’a: It could be (pierced) in the ears, or the nose or the mouth.

¤ All of these defects do not affect the sacrificial animal, and if it is possible to be free from these then it is better.

¤ And there is consensus that it is more preferred to look for the best sacrificial animal.

In conclusion of what has preceded is what Ibn Qudaamah stated:* He said may Allaah have mercy on him: And it is disliked to slaughter with one whose ears is pierced, or some of it has been cut, or what contains a defect from these defects of which do not invalidate its acceptance due to the hadith of Alee may Allaah be pleased with him and then he cited the hadith.

And this is a prohibition of safeguarding one’s integrity (ie. not that it is haraam), whilst it is accepted and we do not know of any difference in this.

And the hadith of Alee which is raised is infectious and it being mawqoof is more correct.

¤ Imam Ibn Jaarood may Allaah have mercy on him giving precedence in mention of the hadith which mentions defects which do not affect the acceptance of the sacrificial animal is only for what is preferable and more complete, and he followed it up with the hadith of Al-Baraa’a which mentions the defects which do not affect the acceptance of the sacrificial animal.

¤ It is said he gave precedence to it because if a person was to be cautious in these minor defects then it takes precedence that he will be cautious of the major defects which prevent acceptance

(With the hadith of Al-Baraa’a bin Aazib that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Four are not accepted….”, the hadith)

Transcribed to Arabic and summarised by:

By Hamood Ath-Thawaabi

may Allah reward him with good

on the 5th, Muharram, 1440H

Translated by:

Abu ‘Abdillah ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi

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