Specific animals for sacrifice
Allah, the Lord of the worlds, has said:
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكاً لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ
And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. (Surah Al-Hajj, 22:34)
Indeed, in this verse, the designated animals for sacrifice are referred to as “Bahimat al-An’am.” Allah Himself has explained the concept of Bahimat al-An’am in the Quran.
وَ مِنَ الۡاَنۡعَامِ حَمُوۡلَۃً وَّ فَرۡشًا ؕ کُلُوۡا مِمَّا رَزَقَکُمُ اللّٰہُ وَ لَا تَتَّبِعُوۡا خُطُوٰتِ الشَّیۡطٰنِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ لَکُمۡ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِیۡنٌ
ثَمٰنِیَۃَ اَزۡوَاجٍ ۚ مِنَ الضَّاۡنِ اثۡنَیۡنِ وَ مِنَ الۡمَعۡزِ اثۡنَیۡنِ ؕ قُلۡ ءٰٓالذَّکَرَیۡنِ حَرَّمَ اَمِ الۡاُنۡثَیَیۡنِ اَمَّا اشۡتَمَلَتۡ عَلَیۡہِ اَرۡحَامُ الۡاُنۡثَیَیۡنِ ؕ نَبِّئُوۡنِیۡ بِعِلۡمٍ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ
وَ مِنَ الۡاِبِلِ اثۡنَیۡنِ وَ مِنَ الۡبَقَرِ اثۡنَیۡنِ ؕ قُلۡ ءٰٓالذَّکَرَیۡنِ حَرَّمَ اَمِ الۡاُنۡثَیَیۡنِ اَمَّا اشۡتَمَلَتۡ عَلَیۡہِ اَرۡحَامُ الۡاُنۡثَیَیۡنِ ؕ اَمۡ کُنۡتُمۡ شُہَدَآءَ اِذۡ وَصّٰکُمُ اللّٰہُ بِہٰذَا ۚ فَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ افۡتَرٰی عَلَی اللّٰہِ کَذِبًا لِّیُضِلَّ النَّاسَ
بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَہۡدِی الۡقَوۡمَ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ
الأنعام،142-۔-(144)
And of the grazing livestock are carriers [of burdens] and those [too] small. Eat of what Allah has provided for you and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
[They are] eight mates – of the sheep, two and of the goats, two. Say, “Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you should be truthful.”
And of the camels, two and of the cattle, two. Say, “Is it the two males He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when Allah charged you with this? Then who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah to mislead the people by [something] other than knowledge? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”
Selection of Animals for Sacrifice
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would select animals for sacrifice that were healthy, fat, with intact horns, and of black and white color. These animals would be chosen specifically for the purpose of sacrifice.
عَنْ عَاءِشَۃَ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَ بِکَبْشٍ أَقْرَنَ یَطَأُ فِیْ سَوَادٍ وَیَبْرُکُ فِیْ سَوَادٍ وَیَنْظُرُ فِیْ سَوَادٍ فَأُتِیَ بِہِ لِیُضَحِّیَ بِہِ فَقَالَ لَہَا: یَا عَاءِشَۃُ، ہَلُمِّی الْمُدْیَۃَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ اشْحَذِیْہَا بِحَجَرٍ فَفَعَلَتْ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَہَا وَأَخَذَ الْکَبْشَ فَأَضْجَعَہُ، ثُمَّ ذَبَحَہُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: بِاسْمِ اللّٰہِ أَللّٰہُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمِنْ أُمَّۃِ مُحَمَّدٍ، ثُمَّ ضَحّٰی بِہِ
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللّٰہِ قَالَ: شَہِدْتُّ مَعَ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ الْأَضْحٰی بِالْمُصَلّٰی فَلَمَّا قَضٰی خُطْبَتَہُ نَزَلَ مِنْ مِنْبَرِہِ وَأُتِیَ بِکَبْشٍ فَذَبَحَہُ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ بِیَدِہِ وَقَالَ: بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ وَاللّٰہُ أَکْبَرُ ہٰذَا عَنِّیْ وَعَمَّنْ لَمْ یُضَحِّ مِنْ أُمَّتِیْ.
عَنْ عَاءِشَۃَ وَعَنْ أَبِیْ ہُرَیْرَۃَ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ کَانَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ یُّضَحِّیَ إِشْتَرٰی کَبْشَیْنِ عَظِیْمَیْنِ سَمِیْنَیْنِ أَقْرَنَیْنِ أَمْلَحَیْنِ مَوْجُوْءَ یْنِ فَذَبَحَ أَحَدَہُمَا عَنْ أُمَّتِہِ لِمَنْ شَہِدَ لِلّٰہِ بِالتَّوْحِیْدِ وَشَہِدَ لَہُ بِالْبَلَاغِ وَذَبَحَ الْآخَرَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَ
It is narrated from Aisha, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) commanded to bring a beautiful ram with horns, black hooves, a black belly, and black around its eyes. So, such a ram was brought to him (peace be upon him) so he can sacrifice. He (peace be upon him) said to Aisha, “Bring the knife,” and then He said, “Sharpen it with a stone.” I did as instructed. Then he took the knife, held the ram, laid it down, and slaughtered it. Afterwards,He said, “In the name of Allah, O Allah, accept this sacrifice from Muhammad, the family of Muhammad, and the Ummah of Muhammad.” Then he ate from it during the first part of the day.
Description of defective animals that are not sacrificed
The sacrificial animal must be without any major defects. If it has minor defects (such as a torn ear or a small hole), the sacrifice is considered disliked (makrooh), and if it has significant defects, the sacrifice is not valid. This ruling is mentioned in the book “Bahar-e-Shari’at” (Volume 3, page 340).
An animal with the following characteristics is not eligible for sacrifice:
- A crazy animal that does not graze and is too weak to stand due to extreme emaciation (its thinness prevents it from standing upright).
- Blind or partially blind animals, with obvious signs of blindness.
- Sick animals that show signs of illness and do not respond to treatment.
- Lame animals that cannot reach the place of sacrifice on their own, or animals born without limbs or with only one ear.
- Wild animals, such as the blue cow or wild goat, hermaphrodite animals (with signs of both male and female characteristics), or a specific type of goat that only eats coarse vegetation.
- Animals that have had one of their limbs, ears, or tails cut off, or more than one-third (3/1) of their ears, or a cut nose, missing teeth (i.e., broken), severed tendons, or are dried out.
In all these cases, the sacrifice of these animals is not permissible.
Note: In the case of a goat, if one of its tendons is dried out, and in the case of a cow or buffalo, if two of their tendons are dried out, it is considered “not permissible” (according to “Durr al-Mukhtar” (Vol. 9, pp. 535, 537) and “Bahar-e-Shariat” (Vol. 3, pp. 340, 341)).
The sacrifice of an animal without horns is permissible. If the horns were there but got broken, and if the horns are completely broken including the root, then the sacrifice will not be valid. However, if only the top part of the horns is broken and the root is intact, then the sacrifice will be valid (according to “Alamgiri” (Vol. 5, p. 297)).
Sacrifice on Behalf of Himself, His Family, and the Ummah
Hazrat Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he said: “I was present with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in the Eidgah (place of prayer) during Eid al-Adha. When he (peace be upon him) completed His sermon and descended from the pulpit, a ram was brought to him. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) personally slaughtered it with his own hands. He (peace be upon him) said: ‘In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest. This sacrifice is on my behalf and on behalf of anyone from my Ummah who has not offered a sacrifice.'”
It is also narrated from the Mother of the Believers, Aisha, and Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with them) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) intended to offer a sacrifice, he would buy large, fat, horned, black-and-white (beautiful) rams, and he would personally slaughter one on behalf of his Ummah, who testifies to the Oneness of Allah and bears witness that he (peace be upon him) have conveyed the message of Allah, and the second one he would slaughter on behalf of himself and his family.
It is a constant command of Islamic law that all animals to be consumed must be sacrificed solely in the name of Allah. If this command is violated, then those animals are not permissible for sacrifice.
Being the head of his household and the head of the Islamic state, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) offered sacrifices on behalf of himself, his family, and the entire Muslim Ummah. Especially, he offered sacrifices on behalf of those believers who were unable to do so due to certain reasons, as clarified in the next narration.
Generally, it is reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would not consume anything before the sacrifice on the day of Eid al-Adha. After the sacrifice, he would break his fast with the meat of the slaughtered animal.
During the time of sacrifice, if an animal jumps or moves in such a way that it causes a defect, this defect is not harmful, meaning the sacrifice can still be performed. However, if the defect is caused by jumping or moving and the animal escapes and is immediately caught and brought back, and then it is slaughtered, the sacrifice will be valid whenever it is performed (according to “Bahar-e-Shariat” (Vol. 3, p. 342) and “Durr al-Mukhtar” (Vol. 9, p. 539)).