The Book on Sacrifices

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aishah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: On the Day of Sacrifice, no deed a person performs is more beloved to Allah than shedding the blood of a sacrificial animal. It will come on the Day of Resurrection with its horns, hair, and hooves. Its blood reaches a place of acceptance with Allah before it falls to the ground, so be content with the sacrifice. Reports on this topic are also narrated from Imran ibn Husayn and Zayd ibn Arqam. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan gharib. We know it as a report of Hisham ibn Urwah only through this route. Abu al-Muthanna was named Sulayman ibn Yazid; Ibn Abi Fudayk narrated from him. Abu Isa also said: It is reported from the Messenger of Allah that the owner of a sacrificial animal receives a good deed for each hair. Another report says: with its horns.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah sacrificed two horned rams with mixed black-and-white coloring. He slaughtered them with his own hand, invoked the name of Allah and said Allahu Akbar, and placed his foot on their sides. Reports on this topic are also narrated from Ali, Aishah, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Ayyub, Jabir, Abu al-Darda, Abu Rafi, Ibn Umar, and Abu Bakrah. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hanash narrated: Ali used to sacrifice two rams, one on behalf of the Prophet and the other on his own behalf. When he was asked about it, he said: He commanded me to do so, meaning the Prophet, and I will never abandon it. Abu Isa said: This hadith is gharib; we know it only through the narration of Sharik. Some of the people of knowledge allowed offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased, while others did not. Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak said: I prefer that charity be given on his behalf rather than a sacrifice being offered for him. If someone does offer a sacrifice, he should not eat any of it and should give it all in charity. Muhammad said: Ali ibn al-Madini said that others besides Sharik also transmitted it. I asked him, What is Abu al-Hasnas name? He did not know. Muslim said: His name is al-Hasan.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Said al-Khudri narrated: The Messenger of Allah sacrificed a horned ram, fully male, with black coloring around its mouth, on its legs, and around its eyes. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih gharib. We know it only through the narration of Hafs ibn Ghiyath.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Al-Bara ibn Azib narrated from the Prophet: An animal with an obvious limp must not be offered as a sacrifice; nor one with an obvious eye defect, one whose illness is evident, or one so emaciated that it has no marrow.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Another chain transmits a report from the Prophet (ﷺ) with similar meaning. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. We know it only through the narration of Ubayd ibn Fayruz from al-Bara. The people of knowledge act upon this hadith.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Hulwani narrated to us: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us, from Sharik ibn Abd Allah, from Abu Ishaq, from Shurayh ibn al-Numan al-Saidi, who was al-Hamdani, from Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) instructed us to inspect the eyes and ears, and not to sacrifice an animal whose ear has been cut from the front, cut from the back, split, or pierced.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Al-Hasan ibn Ali narrated to us: Ubayd Allah ibn Musa narrated to us; Israil informed us, from Abu Ishaq, from Shurayh ibn al-Numan, from Ali, from the Prophet (ﷺ), with a similar report, adding: “The muqabalah is an animal whose ear tip has been cut off; the mudabarah is one whose ear has been cut from the side; the sharqa is one whose ear is split; and the kharqa is one whose ear is pierced.” Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. Abu Isa also said: Shurayh ibn al-Numan al-Saidi was a Kufan and one of the companions of Ali. Shurayh ibn Hani was a Kufan whose father was a Companion, and he was among the companions of Ali. Shurayh ibn al-Harith al-Kindi, Abu Umayya, the judge, also narrated from Ali. All of them were among the companions of Ali and lived in the same era. The phrase “that we inspect carefully” means that we look carefully.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Yusuf ibn Isa narrated to us: Waki narrated to us; Uthman ibn Waqid narrated to us, from Kidam ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Abu Kibash, who said: I brought some young sheep to Medina, but they were not selling. I met Abu Hurairah and asked him about them. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say, “How excellent a sacrificial animal is a young sheep”—or, “a young ewe.” He said: “So the people rushed to buy them.” He said: Reports on this topic are also related from Ibn Abbas, Umm Bilal daughter of Hilal, from her father, Jabir, Uqbah ibn Amir, and a man among the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). Abu Isa said: The hadith of Abu Hurairah is hasan gharib. It has also been transmitted from Abu Hurairah as a mawquf report. Uthman ibn Waqid is Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad ibn Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab. The practice among the people of knowledge, including the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) and others, is that a young sheep suffices as a sacrificial animal.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Qutaybah narrated to us: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Abu al-Khayr, from Uqbah ibn Amir, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave him sheep to distribute among his Companions as sacrificial animals. One young goat or kid remained, so I mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he said: “You sacrifice it.” Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. Waki said: A jadha among sheep is one that is six or seven months old.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

It has also been transmitted through another route from Uqbah ibn Amir that he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) distributed sacrificial animals, and one young sheep remained. I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about it, and he said: “You sacrifice it.” Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated this to us: Yazid ibn Harun and Abu Dawud narrated to us; both said: Hisham al-Dastawai narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Bajah ibn Abdullah ibn Badr, from Uqbah ibn Amir, from the Prophet (ﷺ), with this hadith.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Ammar al-Husayn ibn Hurayth narrated to us: Al-Fadl ibn Musa narrated to us, from al-Husayn ibn Waqid, from Ilba ibn Ahmar, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey when the Eid al-Adha arrived. We shared one cow among seven people and one camel among ten. Abu Isa said: Reports on this topic are also related from Abu al-Aswad al-Sulami, from his father, from his grandfather, and from Abu Ayyub. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Ibn Abbas is hasan gharib. We know it only through the narration of al-Fadl ibn Musa.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Qutaybah narrated to us: Malik ibn Anas narrated to us, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: At al-Hudaybiyyah, we slaughtered a camel on behalf of seven people and a cow on behalf of seven people with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. The practice among the people of knowledge, including the Companions and others, is based on this. This was the view of Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Shafii, Ahmad, and Ishaq. Ishaq also said that a camel suffices for ten people, citing the hadith of Ibn Abbas as evidence.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us: Sharik informed us, from Salama ibn Kuhayl, from Hujayyah ibn Adi, from Ali, who said: A cow is for seven people. I asked, “What if it gives birth?” He said, “Slaughter its offspring with it.” I asked, “What about a lame animal?” He said, “If it reaches the place of sacrifice.” I asked, “What about one with a broken horn?” He said, “There is no harm.” We were instructed—or the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) instructed us—to inspect both eyes and both ears. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. Abu Isa said: Sufyan al-Thawri also narrated it from Salama ibn Kuhayl.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hannad narrated to us: Abdah narrated to us, from Said, from Qatadah, from Jurray ibn Kulayb al-Nahdi, from Ali, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited offering as a sacrifice an animal whose horn or ear has been cut off. Qatadah said: I mentioned this to Said ibn al-Musayyab, and he said: “The cut-off portion is half or more.” Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Yahya ibn Musa narrated to me: Abu Bakr al-Hanafi narrated to us: al-Dahhak ibn Uthman narrated to us: Ammarah ibn Abdullah said: I heard Ata ibn Yasar say: I asked Abu Ayyub al-Ansari how sacrifices were made in the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: “A man would sacrifice one sheep on behalf of himself and his household. They would eat from it and feed others, until people began vying with one another; then it became as you see today.” Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. Ammarah ibn Abdullah was a Medinan, and Malik ibn Anas narrated from him. Some people of knowledge follow this view; it was also the view of Ahmad and Ishaq, who cited the Prophet (ﷺ) sacrificing a ram and saying, “This is on behalf of whoever among my community has not offered a sacrifice.” Some people of knowledge said that a sheep suffices for only one person. This was the view of Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others among the people of knowledge.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ahmad ibn Manii narrated to us: Hushaim narrated to us; Hajjaj ibn Artaah informed us, from Jabalah ibn Suhaym, that a man asked Ibn Umar about the sacrifice: “Is it obligatory?” He replied: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered a sacrifice, and the Muslims did too.” The man repeated the question, so Ibn Umar said: “Do you understand? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered a sacrifice, and the Muslims did too.” Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. The people of knowledge act on the basis that the sacrifice is not obligatory, but is a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that it is recommended to practice. This was the view of Sufyan al-Thawri and Ibn al-Mubarak.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ahmad ibn Manii and Hannad narrated to us: They said: Ibn Abi Zaidah narrated to us, from Hajjaj ibn Artaah, from Nafi, from Ibn Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stayed in Medina for ten years, offering sacrifices. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us: Ismail ibn Ibrahim informed us, from Dawud ibn Abi Hind, from al-Shabi, from al-Bara ibn Azib, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us on the Day of Sacrifice and said: “None of you should slaughter until he has performed the prayer.” My maternal uncle stood and said: “Messenger of Allah, this is a day when meat is in demand, and I slaughtered my sacrifice early so that I could feed my family and the people of my household”—or he said, “my neighbors.” He said: “Offer another slaughter in its place.” My uncle said: “Messenger of Allah, I have a young she-goat with milk, and it is better than two sheep raised for meat. Should I slaughter it?” He said: “Yes. It is the better of your two sacrificial animals, but no young sheep will suffice for anyone after you.” Reports on this topic are also related from Jabir, Jundab, Anas, Uwaymir ibn Ashqar, Ibn Umar, and Abu Zayd al-Ansari. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. Most people of knowledge hold that in towns no sacrifice should be offered until the imam has prayed. Some scholars allowed people in villages to slaughter once dawn had broken; this was the view of Ibn al-Mubarak. Abu Isa said: The people of knowledge unanimously agreed that a young goat does not suffice as a sacrifice; they said that only a young sheep suffices.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Qutaybah narrated to us: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Nafi, from Ibn Umar, from the Prophet (ﷺ), who said: “None of you should eat from the meat of his sacrificial animal for more than three days.” Reports on this topic are also related from Aishah and Anas. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Ibn Umar is hasan sahih. The Prophet issued this prohibition earlier; afterward, permission was granted.