The most Important Rulings on Udhiyah
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) is one of the great rituals of Allah that Muslims are keen to perform due to its immense virtue in the sight of Allah. It is a confirmed Sunna, and it is disliked for a capable person to neglect it. However, it becomes obligatory if one vows to perform it. The Udhiyah is the animal sacrificed on Eid Al-Adha (camels, cattle, or sheep) as an act of devotion to Allah. The time for offering the sacrifice begins after the Eid prayer, once the duration of two Rak‘ahs and two sermons has passed, and continues until sunset on the fourth day of Eid.
The Udhiyah is recommended for a Muslim who is of sound mind, an adult, and financially able. It is required to have the intention when slaughtering the sacrifice. It is also recommended for the one intending to offer the Udhiyah to refrain from cutting their hair or nails during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. However, this is not obligatory, and the sacrifice remains valid even if one trims their hair or nails, though they miss out on the reward of following the Sunna.
It is required that camels be at least five years old, cattle and goats be at least two years old, and sheep be at least six months old, provided that they have shed their front teeth (indicating maturity). The best Udhiyah in terms of size is the one that is the fattest.
It is permissible to share in the sacrifice of a camel or a cow, even if the participants have different intentions, such as one intending it for Udhiyah and another for Aqeeqah. Members of a household may also collectively contribute to the cost of the sacrifice and gift it to one of them to perform the sacrifice, gaining the reward of charity while he includes them in the reward of the sacrifice.
Slaughtering a single sheep is better than sharing in the sacrifice of a cow, and slaughtering seven sheep is better than slaughtering a cow. It is recommended for the person offering the sacrifice to slaughter it themselves if they are capable of doing so, and to witness the slaughter. However, this is not a requirement.
It is not permissible to offer an animal with a defect that reduces the meat or other edible parts. Therefore, an animal that is blind, lame, diseased with mange, or mad is not acceptable for sacrifice. If the animal has any of these defects before it is slaughtered, it will not be valid for sacrifice. If a Muslim vows to sacrifice a specific sheep, the vow is binding even if the animal has a defect, but it will not count as a valid sacrifice (Udhiyah).
A Muslim is allowed to sacrifice a castrated animal, as it is not considered a defect. In fact, castration may improve the meat and fat of the sacrifice. It is also permissible to sacrifice a sheep that lacks an udder, or one with a broken horn or one without horns, as the absence of horns does not affect the sacrifice's validity. However, an animal with horns is preferred because it is aesthetically better. Sacrificing a female animal is allowed, but it is disliked to sacrifice a pregnant one. Additionally, it is not valid to sacrifice an animal with a missing ear, whether it was born with that defect or lost the ear later. A cut ear also renders the sacrifice invalid. However, an animal with a pierced or slit ear is acceptable for sacrifice, as there is no significant deficiency. Similarly, if an animal has a portion of its tail or hind end cut off when young, it does not affect the sacrifice, as this is compensated for by the animal’s fat. Furthermore, an animal born without a tail is still acceptable for sacrifice.
It is not permissible for someone who has vowed to sacrifice an animal (an Udhiyah) to eat from it, nor to feed it to the members of his household who are financially dependent on him. If someone vowed to sacrifice a specific animal and the time passed before they could do so, they are obligated to sacrifice it as a replacement (Qada'). If the animal that was vowed for sacrifice dies before it is slaughtered, and there was no negligence on the person's part, then they are not responsible for anything, as the animal was no longer in their possession due to the vow and became a trust (Wadi'a). However, if the animal died due to negligence, they are required to provide a substitute for it.
It is permissible for a Muslim to share the reward of the sacrifice with others. However, a person cannot sacrifice on behalf of someone else without their permission, except if it is done for the household members, or a guardian on behalf of the one under their care, or the ruler from the public treasury on behalf of the Muslims. It is also permissible to sacrifice on behalf of a deceased person, even if they did not leave a will, according to the Hanbali school of thought, as long as the sacrifice is done during the days of Eid.
If the meat spoils due to the negligence of the one making the sacrifice in terms of preservation or improper storage, they are liable for the amount equivalent to the poor’s share (which is estimated to be a kilogram of meat). If the sacrifice was vowed, they are responsible for the entire amount of the sacrifice. However, if there was no negligence, they are not liable, as the sacrifice is considered a trust (Wadi'ah), and the responsibility would not fall on them.
It is recommended for the one making the sacrifice to eat from their sacrifice, but not to exceed one-third of it. It is also recommended to eat from its liver. However, it is not permissible for the one making the sacrifice to sell any part of the sacrifice, and doing so is forbidden, whether the sacrifice is a vowed one or a voluntary one. Similarly, it is not allowed to exchange the unprocessed skin of the sacrifice for a processed one, as this is a form of sale and thus invalid.
It is permissible to give the butcher part of the sacrifice as a gift or charity, but it is not allowed to count it as part of their fee. The one making the sacrifice is allowed to benefit from the skin of the sacrifice as long as it is not vowed, and they may also gift it. The one making the sacrifice must donate a portion of it to the poor, which is estimated to be about one kilogram of meat. For the sacrifice to be valid, it is required that a portion of it be given to the poor as ownership, and it should be raw meat before cooking.
It is permissible to purchase the sacrifice in installments and to borrow the price for it. However, it is not recommended for the poor to do so, as they are not obligated to perform the sacrifice. Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. The sacrifice is valid even if the person has debts, but it is preferable to settle the debt, especially if it is due.
It is also permissible to delegate the slaughter of the sacrifice to someone else or to a charitable organization, even if it is in a country other than the one where the person performing the sacrifice resides. However, the agent must adhere to the conditions of the sacrifice, including the safety from defects, the correct age, the appropriate time for slaughter, and the proper distribution. It is preferable for the person offering the sacrifice to perform it themselves to receive the full reward and blessings of the sacrifice.
