What kind of animal should be sacrificed?

 

What kind of animal should be sacrificed?

 

The animals specified for sacrifice are these: Goat, ram, sheep, bull, cow, he-buffalo, buffalo and camels.  Sacrifice of animals other than the specified ones is not correct. As per Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 297.

 

The minimum age of animals that can be sacrificed

 

There is Hadith in Sahih Muslim in this context:

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Jabir (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says:  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Slaughter a 1-year-old goat, a 2-year-old cow and 5-year-old camel.  However, if it is difficult for you, then you may slaughter a 6-month-old sheep.  (Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Pg. No. 1963)

 

In the light of this Hadith, the jurists have opined that the minimum age of a goat is one year, of a cow 2 years and for a camel 5 years.  Slaughtering animals less than these ages is not correct.  If a sheep is fat enough that it seems to be of one year, then it is correct to slaughter it.  If the age of animals is more than what is specified, then it is all the more better.  If the age of animals is less than what has been specified, then their sacrifice is not correct.  As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 297

 

A single cow/camel can be on the behalf of 7 persons only

 

Sacrifice of a camel or cow on the behalf of 7 persons is permissible.  There is a Hadith given in Sunan Abu Dawood:

 

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: A cow is on the behalf of 7 persons and a camel is on the behalf of 7 persons.  (Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 2810)

 

A goat, ram or sheep can be on the behalf of one person only.  In buffalo, cow and camel, one animal is on the behalf of 7 persons .i.e. 7 persons can participate in the sacrifice of one cow, buffalo or camel.  As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 5 Pg no. 297.

 

Some necessary guidelines for collective sacrifice

 

To participate in the sacrifice of such an animal, it is necessary that all the participants should have the intention of sacrifice only and that all participants should pay the 7th part of the price of the animal.  It is better that all of them are present at the time of the buying the animal.  However, it is correct if one person buys on behalf of all the 7 persons.  The meat of the sacrificed animal should be distributed equally.  If even one person participates with the intention of something other than sacrifice, like with the intention of eating meat or doing business with the meat or if even one person does not pay the price properly or if the meat is not distributed properly, then the sacrifice of all the 7 becomes invalid.  As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 5, Pg no. 304.

 

If a single person buys a cow (or some such animal) with the intention of individual sacrifice, then later on includes other people as well, then the sacrifice will be valid, but this is not free of undesirability.  Of course, if at the time of buying itself, the intention to include others was present, then there is no undesirability, provided that person is wealthy and sacrificing an animal is Wajib (compulsory) on that person.  As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 304.

 

All the participants should weigh the meat and distribute it equally and the distribution should not be by estimation.  If the head, feet, etc. are also included along with the meat, then one may distribute by estimation as well.  As mentioned in Durre Mukhtaar, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 223)

 

 

Sacrifice of which animal is better – Cow or goat?

 

If in a sacrifice, the price and the quantity of meat of 2 animals is the same, then the animal whose meat is qualitatively better is preferred.  If the quantity of meat is different, then the animal which has more meat is better.

 

If the quantity of 1 portion of meat (i.e. the 7th part) of a cow is equal to the quantity of meat of a goat and their price is also the same, then the meat of a goat is preferred as its meat is better.  If a single portion of beef is more in quantity than the meat of a goat, then the portion of beef will be preferred.  If goat, ram and sheep are equal in their price and the quantity of meat, then sheep is better than ram and a female sheep is better than a male sheep. If cow and ox and male camel and female camel are equal likewise then cow is better than ox and female camel is better than she camel.

 

As mentioned in Radd Ul Muhtaar, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 227