SACRIFICING AN ANIMAL (QURBANI)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ.

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Dear Brothers and Sisters …

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdullilah Allah Blessed us with Month of Dhul Hajj and Today is 6th of Dhul Hajj and Today I will speak about shari’a masail of qurbani and then the following week continue with the Virtue and trial of Hazrat Ibrahim AS.

Qurbani is an annual sacrifice of an animal offered to Allah during the days of Eid al-Adha marking the completing of Haj.

This sacrifice commemorated the actions of the Prophet Ibrahim AS, when he was prepared to sacrifice his beloved son Ismail as after seeing in a dream that Allah wanted him to do so. However, the dream was a test from Allah and He sent down a ram from heaven to be sacrificed in Ismail’s AS place. By sacrificing an animal each year we are confirming that we are willing to sacrifice whatever Allah asks of us and to submit to Him completely.

Qurbani takes place after the Eid Prayer on Eid ul Adha from 10^th Dhul Hajj to 12^th Dhul Hajj (only 3 days). This year the first day of Eid al Adha will be on the 20^th of July.

Now the question is that Qurbani is Sunnah, or Fard? so for this let’s read the following hadith:

Narrated Al-Bara: The Prophet (ﷺ) said (on the day of Idal-Adha), “The first thing we will do on this day of ours, is to offer the (`Id) prayer and then return to slaughter the sacrifice. Whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (tradition), and whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) before the prayer, what he offered was just meat he presented to his family, and that will not be considered as Nusak (sacrifice).” (On hearing that) Abu Burda bin Niyar got up, for he had slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer, and said, “I have got a six-month-old ram.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Slaughter it (as a sacrifice) but it will not be sufficient for any-one else (as a sacrifice after you). Al-Bara’ added: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) after the prayer, he slaughtered it at the right time and followed the tradition of the Muslims.” Sahih al-Bukhari 5545

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5545

So, sacrificing an animal is compulsory according to affordability. Any adult, sane Muslim who possesses the Nisab value must give a qurbani. So if you are eligible to pay Zakat, you need to offer a Qurbani.

In the view of Hanafi, it is compulsory, and shafi say it is Sunnat Muai’kda and according to Maliki and Hanbli it is Wajib (compulsory).

Lets look in to another Important Hadith regarding the qurbani obligations.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ “‏ مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ سَعَةٌ وَلَمْ يُضَحِّ فَلاَ يَقْرَبَنَّ مُصَلاَّنَا ‏”‏ ‏

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever can afford it, but does not offer a sacrifice, let him not come near our prayer place.”

Sunan Ibn Majah 3123 Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)

https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:3123

Now let’s look in to following 10 most important factors regarding Qurbani.

1. Your Obligations/involvement: it is solely your responsibility for anything belongs to Charity in the way of Allah e.g., Zakat, Saddaqqah, Lilah, Qurbani (Sacrificing an animal), & Kaffarah to involve yourself as matter of importance. Do not transfer your responsibility. These matters are more important matters then your children as this impact on all your family in this life and hereafter.

2. Where to Slaughter? Now question regarding sending Qurbani to War zone countries while skipping your own neighbour’s needs. Simply the answer is just follow the method of distribution of Prophet Muhammad SAW, and then if you can do extra qurbani after that then go ahead.

3. Choosing an Animal (Khasi Animal is allowed if he is by nature but preference will be the right animal).

4. Distribution Please be involved by yourself personally and start distributing from your own households, then your relatives, neighbours, friends & Ghuraba.

5. Slaughtering and recitation takbeer Zibah: e.g in experience & non educated Butchers.

6. Nothing can be given (part of animal) to the person who is slaughtering but only the price of slaughtering.

7. Buying additional Animals to slaughter on Eid al Adha for Messenger of Allah and Ale Muhammad Ahel Bait (or for dead): This is not allowed and there is no proof from Authentic hadith.

There is only hadith mentioned in Sahih Muslim – 1967 that ‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) commanded that a ram with black legs, black belly and black (circles) round the eyes should be brought to him, so that he should sacrifice it. He said to ‘A’isha: Give me the large knife, and then said: Sharpen it on a stone. She did that. He then took it (the knife) and then the ram; he placed it on the ground and then sacrificed it, saying: Bismillah, Allah-humma Taqabbal min Muhammadin wa Al-i-Muhammadin, wa min Ummati Muhammadin (In the name of Allah,” O Allah, accept [this sacrifice] on behalf of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and the Umma of Muhammad”. Sahih Muslim 1967

https://sunnah.com/muslim:1967

This hadith explains that this is Ejaz of Rasool Allah saw after authorities have given to Prophet regarding praying Janaza of musilm having debt and then doing qurbani for the Ummah.

Also, one thing is clear regarding importance of Ahle Bait (family of Muhammad) saw as prophet himself mentioned them separately from the Ummah.

8. Qurbani for dead. This is only allowed if dead leave the wassiya (will). Some did allow by using following Da’if hadith. Acceptance of your actions by following Da’if hadith will never match your actions done according to a sahih hadith.

Narrated Hanash: That ‘Ali used to slaughter two male sheep, one for the Prophet (ﷺ) and the other for himself. When this was mentioned to him, he said: “He ordered me to” – meaning the Prophet (ﷺ) – “So I will never leave it.” Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1495.

Grade: Da’if

https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:1495

9. Storage of Meat: first Messenger of Allah saw forbade and later he allowed.

Narrated Salama bin Al-Aqua’: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever has slaughtered a sacrifice should not keep anything of Its meat after three days.” When it was the next year the people said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we do as we did last year?” He said, ‘ Eat of it and feed of it to others and store of it for in that year the people were having a hard time and I wanted you to help (the needy). Sahih al-Bukhari 5569

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5569

10. On Eid ul Adha you have to eat after Eid prayer, but on eid ul fitr you eat before going to eid prayer reason that you are showing that there is no fast today.

So now in the end again I would like to remind you in  Sahih al Bukhari 969. Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja).” Then some companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Not even Jihad?” He replied, “Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah’s sake) and does not return with any of those things. “Sahih al-Bukhari 969.

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:969

Jazak Allah Khair. Allahumma Sallai Al’a Muahmmad’n wa’aila Muhammad

Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours – He will increase you therein.  And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.

BY IMAM MCCIRLAM MAHBOOB RASOOL