Important! Udhiyah – Sacrifice on Idd ============================= Udhiya and its obligations Udhiyah (sacrifice) is among the great rituals of Islam, which signify the Oneness of Allah, His Blessings, and Bounties. It reminds us the exemplary obedience of our father, Ibraheem (alaihi as-salaam), to His Lord and his great sacrifices to Him. Udhiyah encompasses much goodness and blessings and thus acquires a great deal of importance in the lives of Muslims. And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that they may mention the Name of Allah over the beast of cattle that He has given them for food. And your God is One God, so you must submit to Him Alone (in Islam)… [Soorah al-Hajj (22): 34] Udhiyah refers to the animal (camel, cattle or sheep) that is sacrificed as an act of worship to Allah, during the period from after the Eid prayer on the Day of Nahr (Eid al-Adha) until the last day of Tashreeq (the 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah), with the intention of offering sacrifice. Allah says: Say (O Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa-sallam)): Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the Aalameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists). [Soorah al-Anaam (6): 162] Scholars differ concerning the ruling of Udhiyah, some are of the opinion that Udhiyah is wajib or obligatory while others hold Udhiyah as a confirmed Sunnah. But it is better to offer sacrifice if you can afford to. Jaabir (radhi allahu anhu), narrated: I prayed on Eid al-Adha with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), and when he finished (the prayer), he was brought one ram, and he sacrificed it. He said: In the Name of Allah, Allah is Most Great. This is on behalf of myself and any member of my Ummah who did not offer a sacrifice. [Awnul Mabood Sharh Sunan Abee Daawood by Muhammad Shams al-Haq Adheem Aabaadi, vol. 8, pp. 3-6] The basic rule of Udhiyah is that sacrifice is required at an appointed time from one who is alive, on behalf on himself and on behalf of his household. He may also include in the reward all those whom he wishes, dead or alive, he should say, Allaahumma haatha annee wa an ahli baytee meaning O Allah! This is on my behalf and on behalf of my family members. Offering sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is a good deed and it is considered to be giving charity on behalf of the dead. It is from the virtues of Udhiyah that one animal is sufficient for one man and his family; he is not required to make separate sacrifices on behalf of every member (living or dead). Narrated Abu Ayyub: At the time of Allahs Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), a man would sacrifice a sheep on behalf of himself and the members of his household, and they would eat from it and give some to others. [Sunan Ibn Majah v: 4, no: 3147. (Saheeh) by Shaikh al-Albanee in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Majah v: 2, no: 2546] [also, see previously mentioned Hadeeth reported by Jaabir (radhi allahu anhu) (Abu Dawood)] With regards to sharing a sacrifice, then a camel or a cow can be shared by seven people, this is based on the narration of Jabir (radhi allahu anhu), who said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) commanded us to share camels and cattle, each seven men sharing one animal. [Saheeh Muslim v: 2, p. 662, no. 3024] If a sheep, a goat or a ram is offered for Udhiyah, then sharing is not allowed. From the conditions of Udhiyah is that the animal offered for sacrifice must have reached the required age, which is six months for a lamb, one year for a goat, two years for a cow and five years for a camel. The animal should be completely free of any faults because sacrifice is an act of worship and Allah is Tayyib and He only accepts that which is Tayyib. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) There are four that will not be accepted for sacrifice: a one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is obvious and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones. [(Saheeh) by Shaikh al-Albanee in Saheeh al-Jamee no. 886] The animal can be sacrificed after the Eid prayer and the Khutbah (not when the Khutbah or the prayer starts) until before the sunset of the last day of Tashreeq, which is 13th Dhul-Hijjah. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: Whoever sacrifices before the prayer, let him repeat it. [Saheeh Muslim vol: 3, p. 1084, no: 4818] It is related from Ali (alaihi as-slaam): The days of Nahr (sacrifice) are the day of al-Adha and the three days following it. This is also the opinion of al-Hasan al-Basree, Ataa Ibn Abi Rabaah, al-Awzaaee, al-Shaafie and Ibn al-Munthir (rahimahullahum ajmaeem) The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) would not go out on the day of breaking the fast (Eid al-Fitr) until he had eaten and on the day of sacrifice (Eid al Adha) he would not eat until he had returned [from Salaat] This is related by at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Majah and also by Sunan Ad-Daaramee who added: And he would eat from his sacrifice. [Sharah as-Sunnah, vol. 4, p. 306, footnote no: 1. Shaikh al-Albane said, its isnaad is Saheeh, al-Mishkaat, vol: 1, p. 452, no: 1440] Dividing the meat into three is Mustahabb (liked, preferable), one-third to keep for oneself, one-third to be given as gifts and one-third to be given in charity. This was the opinion of Ibn Masood (radhi allahu anhu) and Ibn Umar t. [(Saheeh) by Shaikh al-Albanee in Sunan Ibn Majah vol: 2, p: 203, no: 2546] Merits of sacrifice One of the righteous deeds that bring a person closer to Allaah in these ten days is to slaughter the sacrifice and to look for a good, fat animal and to spend money on it for the sake of Allaah. It was narrated from ’Aishah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The son of Adam does not do any deed on the Day of Sacrifice that is dearer to Allah than shedding blood. It will come on the Day of Resurrection with its horns and cloven hoofs and hair. Its blood is accepted by Allah before it reaches the ground. So be content when you do it.” It was narrated that Zaid bin Arqam said: “The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are these sacrifices?’ He said: ‘The Sunnah of your father Ibrahim.’ They said: ‘What is there for us in them, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘For every hair, one merit.’ They said: ‘What about wool, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘For every hair of wool, one merit.’” Therefore, everyone who is able to offer Udhiyah should do so and acquire the rewards promised in the aḥādīth
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 08:28:05 +0000