“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.

This is the shariah of animal sacrifice. The Prophet (sws) has also explained some of its aspects:

i. In the month of animal sacrifice, those who intend to sacrifice an animal, in accordance with the ancient tradition of offering sacrifice, will not cut their nails or hair before they have offered sacrifice. [1]

ii. Animals should be sacrificed in all circumstances after the id prayer. It will not be regarded as the sacrifice of id if it is offered before the ‘id prayer; it will be a mere animal sacrifice that one may offer to eat meet. [2]

iii. The appropriate age for a sacrificial sheep or goat is at least one year, for that of a cow or a bull, it is at least two years and for camels, male or female, it is at least five years. If these animals are not available, a ram can be sacrificed. It will suffice even if it is six months old. [3]

iv. More than one people can share the sacrifice of camels and cows, both male or female. These share holders can even go up to seven. [4]There are some narratives which mention that at one instance in the presence of the Prophet (sws), ten people shared one camel for sacrifice and he did not stop them. [5]

v. Animal sacrifice can also be offered as an optional act of worship other than on id. Consequently, at the birth of children, the Prophet (sws) himself offered animal sacrifice and urged others also to do it. [6]”

(Excerpt from Meezan: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

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[1]. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 882, (no. 5121).

[2]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 988-989, (nos. 5560, 5561, 5562); Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 874-876, (nos. 5064, 5069, 5079).

[3]. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 876, (no. 5082); Abu Da’ud, Sunan, vol. 3, 96, (no. 2799); Al-Nasa’i, Sunan, 608-609, (no. 4383).

[4]. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 553, (no. 3186).

[5]. Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Jami‘ al-kabir,vol. 3, 166-167, (no. 1501); Al-Nasa’i,Sunan, 610, (nos. 4397, 4398).

[6]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 974, (no. 5472); Abu Da’ud, Sunan, vol. 3, 106, (no.2841).