“The shariah regarding animal sacrifice that has reached us through the consensus and perpetual practice of the ummah can be stated thus:
1. All four legged animals which are cattle can be sacrificed.
2. Sacrificial animals should not be flawed and should be of appropriate age.
3. The time of animal sacrifice begins after offering the id prayer on the 10th of Dhu al-Hajj (yawm al-nahr)
4. The days fixed for animal sacrifice are the same as have been appointed for the stay at Mina once the pilgrims return from Muzdalifah. In Surah Hajj, the words أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ (some appointed days (22:28)), allude to these very days. In religious parlance, they are called “the days of tashriq”. Besides animal sacrifice in these days, one is also required to declare the takbir at the end of each congregational prayer. Being an absolute directive, the words of the takbir have not been fixed.
5. The meat of sacrificial animals can also be eaten without any hesitation by those who have had them slaughtered and can also be used to feed others. The words used by the Quran: (22: 36) فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَ الْمُعْتَرَّ (so eat from it your selves and also feed those who are content and those who ask, (22:36)) explicitly point to this conclusion…”
(Excerpt from Meezan: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)
(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)