By Asma bint Shameem
1. What is Udhiyah or Qurbaani?
The word udhiyah means “an animal of the ‘an’aam class (i.e., camel, cow, sheep or goat) that is slaughtered during the days of Eid al-Adhaa because of the Eid and as *an act of worship*, intending to draw closer to Allaah thereby.”
It is an act of ibaadah to Allaah and you are rewarded for it.
Allaah says:
“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and *sacrifice (to Him only)*”
[al-Kawthar 108:2]
And He said:
“And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that they may mention the Name of Allaah over the beast of cattle that He has given them for food. And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God Allaah), so you must submit to Him Alone (in Islaam).”
[al-Hajj 22:34]
2. Offering a sacrifice on Eid al-Adhaa is an act of worship that you should do IF you can afford it.
If you can't, you don't “have” to do it.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
"Offering the udhiyah (qurbaani) on the Muslim’s behalf and on behalf of the (living) members of his family is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) for the one who is able to do it.”
[Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/419]
3.ONE sacrifice (a goat or sheep) is ENOUGH on behalf of the head of the household , his wife, kids and family living under his roof.
You do NOT “have” to offer sacrifice for EACH member of the family.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
“Udhiyah is Sunnah mu’akkadah for the one who is able to do it, so a person should offer the sacrifice on behalf of himself and the members of his household.”
(Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/661)
But if someone wants to offer more than one sacrifice per family, that’s allowed.
And counts as extra rewards.
4. You can offer this ONE udhiyah on behalf of ALL members of your family, both living and even the *dead*.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam used to offer the udhiyah on behalf of himself and on behalf of the members of his family, including those who had previously died, for example Khadeejah radhi Allaahu anhaa.
The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam brought a ram and
said:
“In the name of Allaah; O Allaah, accept (this sacrifice) on behalf of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and the ummah of Muhammad.” Then he sacrificed it.”
(Saheeh Muslim 3637)
5. There are up to SEVEN shares in one cow or camel.
So seven people may get together and share the sacrifice of a camel or cow.
Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“On the day of al-Hudaybiyah we offered the sacrifice with the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, a camel on behalf of seven and a cow on behalf of seven.” [Muslim (1318)]
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
“A camel or a cow is sufficient on behalf of seven people, whether they are all from one family or are from different families, and whether they are related to one another or not, because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam gave permission to the Sahaabah to share a camel or a cow, one animal for every seven people, and he did not say anything more specific than that.”
[Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/401]
And Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:
“One sheep is sufficient for one person, and one-seventh of a camel or cow is sufficient for what one sheep is sufficient for.”
(Ahkaam al-Udhiyah)
6. It’s allowed for *less* than seven to share in a cow or camel.
Imaam ash-Shaafa‘i said:
“If they are fewer than seven, it is acceptable on their part, and any surplus is regarded as a supererogatory act on their part, just as a camel is acceptable on behalf of one from whom a sheep is required, and he is regarded as doing a supererogatory act with regard to the difference between the sheep and the camel.”
[al-Umm (2/244)]
7. The sacrifice has to be from among the "an'aam" animals meaning either a sheep, goat, cow or camel.
So for example, you cannot sacrifice a chicken.
Allaah says:
“And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that they may mention the Name of Allaah over the *“beast of cattle”* (Baheemat al-an’aam) that He has given them for food”
[al-Hajj 22:34]
“Beast of cattle” includes camels, cattle and sheep.
This is what is well known among the Arabs, and this was the view of al-Hasan, Qataadah and others.
8. Choose the BEST animal as offering sacrifice is an act of worship to Allaah Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala.
So offer a good animal ....healthy, free of fault.
Abu Raafi, the freed slave of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“When the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam offered a sacrifice, he would buy two fat rams.”
According to one version, *“castrated rams.”*
(Ahmad; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3122)
Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said explaining the above hadeeth:
“Fat means an animal that has a lot of fat and meat.
‘Castrated’ means one that has had its testicles removed – this is usually *better* than an uncastrated animal with regard to the taste of the meat, but the uncastrated animal is more complete in a physical sense.”
(Risaalat Ahkaam al-Audhiyah Wa’l-Dhakaah)
9. The time for this udhiyah is from after the Khutbah on the day of Eid until sunset on the thirteenth of dhul Hijjah. But the sooner the sacrifice, the better.
The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever offers a sacrifice *after the prayer* has completed his rituals (of Eid) and has followed the way of the Muslims.” [al-Bukhaari 5545]
10. It's better if you slaughter the animal yourself.
Anas ibn Maalik radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam sacrificed two white rams speckled with black.
*He slaughtered them with his own hand*, said ‘Allaahu akbar’ and put his foot on their necks.”
[al-Bukhaari (5558) and Saheeh Muslim (1966)]
But you can also delegate someone else to do it on your behalf if you don't know how or for some other reason.
11. How to divide the Udhiyah
It's good to eat ‘some’ from the udhiyah (qurbaani) and give ‘some’ as charity.
Allaah said:
“Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor having a hard time”
[al-Hajj 22:28]
And the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said about the udhiyah:
“Eat some, store some and give some in charity.”
(Muslim)
It’s recommended to divide it in three parts.
And keep a third for yourself, give a third to the poor, and a third to your family.
But that’s not a hard and fast rule.
The scholars said:
“The division of the udhiyah into three portions was narrated from some of the Sahaabah radhi Allaahu anhum, but the matter is broad in scope.
What matters is that “some” of it should reach the poor and needy.”
(Islamqa Fatwa # 160055)
12. It's good to do the sacrifice in the city where you live.
But if there is *more benefit* of doing the sacrifice in a place other than your residence, such as poor relatives, or other Muslims who are in greater need of the charity, then you can offer the udhiyah in a place other than where you live.
Shaikh Ibn Jibreen said:
“It is preferable to slaughter it in the country where you are, so that you may be present at the slaughter and say the name of Allaah over it, and eat from it, give some as gifts and give some in charity, by thirds.
But if it is a rich country and there are no poor people there, and if you give to some of them they will store it for several days and they have abundant meat throughout the year, then it is permissible to send it to those who need it in poor countries where meat is scarce and they only have it rarely.
But it is essential to make sure that the sacrifice is done during the days of sacrifice, and that the animal is of the right age and free of defects, and that the person appointed to do that is trustworthy.”
13.If you're the one offering the udhiyah, you should not cut your nails or hair starting from the first of dhul hijjah until the time you do the sacrifice.
The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“When you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him refrain from (removing anything) from his hair or nails.” (Muslim, 1977)
According to another version: “Let him not remove anything of his hair or skin.”
14.This ruling is ONLY for the one doing the sacrifice.
Your family and the others that you're doing the sacrifice on behalf of, do NOT have to do that.
They can cut their nails and hair if they need to.
The reason why cutting the nails and hair is not allowed is to show unity, support and solidarity between the hujjaaj and those that are not going for hajj.
Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:
“This ruling applies only to the one who is going to slaughter the sacrifice.
It does NOT apply to the one on whose behalf a sacrifice is offered, because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said, “If any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice.”
He did not say, “… is going to have a sacrifice offered on his behalf.”
And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam used to offer the sacrifice on behalf of the members of his household, and it is not narrated that he told them to refrain from that (cutting their hair and nails etc).
Based on this, it is permissible for the family of the person who is going to offer the sacrifice to remove things from their hair, nails and skin during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah.”
(Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/316)
15. A Haaji does not have to offer an udhiyah because he is offering a hadiy.
The proof is the fact that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam did not offer an udhiyah when he went for hajj. Rather he offered a hadiy.
BUT if the person is doing hajj by himself, he can leave some money behind with his family so that they can offer the udhiyah.
Shaikh ibn Uthaymeen said:
"The pilgrim does not offer an udhiyah, rather he offers a hadiy. Hence the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam did not offer an udhiyah during the Farewell Hajj, rather he offered a hadiy.
But if we assume that he is doing Hajj by himself and his family are in his homeland, then in that case he should leave his family enough money to buy an animal and offer it as an udhiyah, so he will be offering a hadiy and they will be offering an udhiyah, because the udhiyah is only prescribed in places other than Makkah, but in Makkah it should be a hadiy."(al-Liqa’ al-Shahri)
16. It's NOT CORRECT to offer udhiyah on behalf of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.
The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam never taught us to do that although he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam taught us EVERYTHING we need as far as doing good deeds is concerned.
Also the Sahaabah never sacrificed an udhiyah on behalf of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.
If it was good to do that, they would have definitely done that. But they didn't.
Besides whatever good we do, the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam automatically gets the reward of it too.
That's because he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“Whoever sets a good example in Islam which is followed after he is gone, will have a reward like those who acted upon it, without it detracting from their reward in the slightest.” (Muslim)
And Allaah knows best.
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