Udhiyah is one of the great rituals of Islam. The word Udhiyah means an animal of the a’ana’aam  class (i.e., camel, cow, sheep or goat) that is slaughtered during the period after the Eid prayer on the day of Nahr (Eid al-Adha) until the last days of Tashreeq (last day being the 13th of Dhul Hijjah).

 It is often called Qurbani by Muslims of India and Pakistan. but the correct word for this ritual is Udhiyah. It is an amazing ritual with an important history and reason behind it. In order to fully appreciate it and benefit from it we need to understand the history and purpose behind it.

In this comprehensive guide we will firstly look at the history and purpose of the Udhiyah and then the rules and regulations regarding it

What is the History and the purpose of the Udhiyah (sacrifice/qurbani)?

The history of this sacrifice dates back to the time of Prophet Ibraheem peace be upon him and his family (Abraham in English).

Islam by definition means the submission and surrender of one’s will to the only true god worthy of worship “Allah”. And this submission and surrender must be down peacefully, meaning that one should not protest or complain about Allah’s orders.

This was demonstrated by the Prophet Ibraheem, his wife Hajjar and his son Ismaeel. Their sacrifice shows what it means to be a true Muslim.

Ibraheem was ordered to travel to a far away land with his wife and child. The land was Makkah.  Makkah was an extremely hot place in those days. So hot that even the mountains cannot retain any moisture and the soils must have dried up and fallen leaving the mountains bare. The would have been impossible to grow anything there and water was no were to be seen.

So it would be extremely difficult for someone to emigrate to Makkah in those days and expect to survive there for long. If ones food and water reserves finished what would one do?

If a husband and wife went there with their baby they would leave right away. If the husband left and the wife stayed behind she would be all alone with no one to talk to. No one to protect and help her.

But this is exactly what happened with Ibraheem and his family.

One day, Ibraheem woke up and asked his wife Hajar to get her son and prepare for a long journey. In a few days Ibraheem started out with his wife Hajar and their son Ishmael. The child was still nursing and not yet weaned. Ibraheem walked through cultivated land, desert, and mountains until he reached the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and came to an uncultivated valley having no fruit, no trees, no food, no water. The valley had no sign of life.

 Ibraheem had helped his wife and child to dismount. He gave her of food and water which he had brought with him. Then he turned his around with his back facing his wife and child and started to walk away.

 He wife hurried after him asking: “Where are you going Ibraheem, leaving us in this barren valley?”

Ibraheem did not answer her and continued walking. She repeated what she had said, but he remained silent. He kept walking and did not turn around to look at his beloved wife and child.

Often when fathers leave their wife and children in England to travel to say Pakistan for a holiday their eyes fill with tears upon seeing the face of their child and wife even though they know they are leaving them in the safety of their huge extended families and in a land which had shops just around the corner.

For Ibraheem to leaving his wife and baby son in a barren land with no people to protect them and with food and water which would barely last them 2 days would require huge amounts of  will power

 Why did he not look at them we will never know in this life. We can only imagine what it would be like for us to do that.

But this part of the story shows the determination Ibraheem had to obey Allah’s commands and it shows that  when a person has been commanded by Allah to do something very difficult he has no choice in the matter and to accomplish that task he should make a firm commitment in his mind and march  forward without looking back.

Finally being a pious and extremely intelligent woman Hajjar knew her husband was a good pious man who loved his wife and son dearly and would not have taken them to a barren uninhabited land to simply leave them there. It must have been an order from Allah and orders are there to be obeyed. She knew that when the orders are from Allah then she should not fear as Allah is able to look after his servants no matter how bad the environment is.

So the wise  Hajjar asked her husband : “Did Allah command you to do so?” He replied: “Yes.” Then his amazing woman said: “We are not going to be lost, since Allah Who has commanded you is with us.”

Through Hajjar, Allah showed us what a good Muslim wife is. A good wife is one who is pious and wise. She realises the dangers she is in and asks her husband why is he abandoning her. If he doesnt answer she quickly realises that her husband is a pious man and would not abandon her for no reason in a barren deserted place. So she asks him if what he is doing is an order from Allah, if it is from Islam.

 Once she realises that her husband is merely following Allah’s orders then she realizes that orders no matter how difficult, are to there to be followed. She also realizes that her lord is loving and caring and will not abandon her and that He is the best protector. After this she realizes how difficult it would be for her husband to leave his beloved and the apple of his eye (his child), so she reassures him that what he is doing is the right thing to do and that he should not worry about them for Allah will look after them.

This is the wonderful wife that Allah blessed the Prophet Ibraheem with. However for some, their wife (in case of the wife her husband) becomes a loss for them. A loss because instead of encouraging them to do as Allah commands the spouse tells her husband (or he his wife) to do go against what Allah has commanded

Allah says:

O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you (i.e. may stop you from the obedience of Allah), therefore beware of them! But if you pardon (them) and overlook, and forgive (their faults), then verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward (Paradise).

So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen and obey; and spend in charity, that is better for yourselves. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they are the successful ones.

If you lend to Allah a goodly loan (i.e. spend in Allah’s Cause) He will double it for you, and will forgive you. And Allah is Most Ready to appreciate and to reward, Most Forbearing,

All-Knower of the unseen and seen, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (Quran 64:14-18)

Some time went by and the provisions ran out. Just imagine what will happen to the heart of a mother when she has nothing left to feed her child whilst stuck in a barren land with all alone

When her child started to cry and she ran between the two hills in the hope that a caravan of people may by Makkah.

Eventually her test was over and Allah provided her with a spring of zamzam water with which she fed her child and her self.

So Ibraheem and his family had to go through tough tests.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Trials will continue to befall the believing man and woman, with regard to themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allah with no sin on them.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2399; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2280.

Allah says :

“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!”

[al-Baqarah 2:214]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah will record one good deed for him and will remove one bad deed from him.”

Narrated by Muslim.

 It was narrated that Jaabir said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, when people who had suffered affliction are given their reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2402. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 2206.

So it is not surprising that the more Allah loves some one the more Allah tests them. The Prophets are test the most , then the pious and Allah does not test anyone beyond their capability.
 
So Ibraheems tests did not stop there.  

 Allah says:

“And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, InshaAllah (if Allah will), you shall find me of As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).”

. Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering);

And We called out to him: “O Abraham!

You have fulfilled the dream (vision)!” Verily! Thus do We reward the Muhsinun (good-doers – see V.2:112).

Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial

And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e.  – a ram);

And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times.

Salamun (peace) be upon Ibrahim (Abraham)!”

Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinun (good-doers – see V.2:112).

Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves.

And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaque (Isaac) a Prophet from the righteous.

We blessed him and Ishaque (Isaac), and of their progeny are (some) that do right, and some that plainly wrong themselves.”

(Quran 37: 102-113)

This was a test of utmost obedience. Ibraheem sacrificed his only son because that is what Allah wanted him to do. He heard and obeyed.

 In the end not only did Allah let him retain his son only son  but Allah blessed him with an additional pious son. Such is the reward of the good doers.

Now we are created beings and it is up to the Creator to ask us to sacrifice ourselves, our children, our wealth and whatever He wishes.

Now the Christians due to their lack of certainty in belief in Christianity are not ready to sacrifice themselves  for Allah.

So to fool themselves they invent a lie against God and say that God sacrificed his only son for humanity. This is a way of making one’s self look good.

If someone comes to them and says are you not told to give even your life and sons up for your religion if that is required. If they say yes. Then the person could turn round and ask your religion says you must do this and that. Why do you not do that. or why do you commit these sins. Instead of saying they are bad people they could say oh it is not we humans who have to sacrifice things dear to us but it is God who has to sacrifice his son for our sins. And because he has done that we can sin all we like because he  has already  are forgiven us through killing his only son. So they commit lies and shirk just to make themselves not look bad.

This happens with human beings. When a person says what you are doing is haram and your not a good person. That person if he is honest with himself will agree that he is not a good person but if he wants to portray a false image of himself he will say no that is not haram and he will bring out false arguments that look convincing to the other person and thus make the haram  (forbidden ) into halal (lawful).

But by doing this he is not only sinning but he commits the unforgiveable sin of shirk.

Because making lawful what Allah has forbidden is competing with God and unless the person repents sincerely they will end up in hellfire forever.

Were as a believer doing lesser sins may get forgiven or  punished for his sin by spending some jail time in hellfire. Which is far better than staying in hell forever.

Allah says:

It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.

(Quran 6:82)

 The way in which Ibraheem (and his family) obeyed Allah’s commands became a model for every Muslims.

In order to  train Muslims in that way,  every year the head of Muslim house hold is required to sacrifice an animal for the sake of Allah only if the person can afford it..

Also due to this great sacrifices of theirs, Allah makes us remember them in each of our daily  prayer, every Eid al Adha and whenever we read the Quran and Hadith we come across their stories and are thus  reminded of this amazing pious family. This is a huge honour that Allah has bestowed upon this family and upon others who gave everything precious to them in a way of obedience to Allah.

You will find even during the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him times sacrifices were met with great rewards both in this world and the next.

For example, The actions of  the non Muslim families of UmmSalamah and AbuSalamah lead to her being separated from both her beloved  husband and her dear child. Their cruelty lead her to sit upon a hill and cry all daylong  but not once did she say a word against her Rabb (Lord). Latter on when their cruelty ceased and she was allowed to travel with her  child to Madina. Her brave husband took part in a battle and died of his injuries in Jihad. He was such a good husband that she could replace him. She said to herself who can be better than AbuSalamah and she arrived at the conclusion that no one could be better than him as a husband.

But there was someone who was better than AbuSalamah as a husband and it did not occur to her that he would ask her hand for marriage.

As a reward for her sacrifice in the path of Allah, Allah gave her the best of creation (Prophet Muhammad) as a husband. Such is the true promise of Allah for the pious.

Another example is of a Sahabi who carried the flag of Islam in the battle . One of his arms was chopped off. So he carried it with his other arm and that was chopped off and then he was killed. The Prophet peace be upon him  was shown what this Sahabi was doing in heaven. He was in Jannah and he had wings and he was flying in Jannah enjoying the luxury of Jannah. Such was his reward for his sacrifice.

Allah says:
Say (O Muhammad ): “Truly, my Lord has guided me to a Straight Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrâhim Hanifa and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn .”

Say (O Muhammad ): “Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).

(Quran 6:160 -162)

Most people don’t realise the true meaning of the Hajj nor that of  the sacrifice. They treat it as just a story to tell children rather than to learn from it to entertain them.. The story is mentioned for a purpose and that is to learn how to life this life. To be obedient to Allah only, to worship Allah only and to be willing to give up  everything, no matter how precious for Allah. Not to question why Allah asked for that sacrifice.

If their creator ask for their life they should be willing to give their life. If He asks them to give a sheep he should be willing to give a sheep.

This Udhiyah (qurbani, sacrifice) is not about sacrificing a lamb but it is a training for Muslim to be ready to sacrifice whatever is required of the by Allah, be it their time, their wealth, their sweet heart (wife), the apple of their eyes (children).
 

Allah says:
Say (O Muhammad ): “Truly, my Lord has guided me to a Straight Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrâhim Hanifa and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn .”

Say (O Muhammad ): “Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).

(Quran 6:160 -162)

Even Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was told to take Prophet Ibraheem as his example.

And you can see how remembering the beautiful example of Prophet Ibraheems sacrifices for Allah  would have helped the Prophet Muhammad on his very difficult journey. A Journey and responsibility that no other Prophet had been given before and that was to convey the message of Islam to everyone not just his own people. In this mission he would see his own people who loved him and respected him turn against him, slander him and try to starve, bribe him, threaten, threaten his loved ones in order to submit to their will and to their way of life.
 
The companions of the Prophet peace be upon him also had to endure the same trials and they too had to do things they initially disliked. Initially the Sahabah disliked  fighting the enemies of Islam even though the enemies of Islam had persecuted them, driven them out of their own homes and lands, looted their property, starved them with economic boycotts, tortured them and even killed some of their friends and family. Even after this they did not want to take engage in physical fighting with them. They thought fighting the enemies of Islam was a bad thing so Allah said to them.

 “Jihad (holy fighting in Allah’s Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” (2:216)

Thus they carried out even fighting in the cause of Allah,

There was a  point when one of the companions said “When will the help of Allah come” The Prophet peace be upon him disliked this statement and it made him angry and He reminded him that nations before us when through trials in which they were cut into pieces yet they still remained firm on Islam.

When the Muslims lost their Islamic state, there were  Muslims who were  tortured by Munafics and kaffirs because they want Muslims countries to be ruled by Islam and Islam only. You will find their loved ones may be raped and beaten in front of them, they may be beaten  severely and chopped bit by bit until they agree to leave this call for Islam to be established in Muslim lands. Their bodies were found to have been chopped into bits but they resisted till the end.

 However what do we see many of the  Muslims today doing. They are compromising on their Islam for even a mere job. They are not ready to upset their teacher or boss for fear of loosing their job or being harmed. Yet when distributing the meat of the Qurbani they become very enthusiastic and give advice and suggestions of how to distribute it. Because it is a mere ritual for them or about getting reward for giving to the poor. The do not understand this is not the purpose of the qurbani

Part 2

Udhiyyah is a confirmed Sunnah according to the majority of scholars (some scholars say that it is waajib or obligatory; this will be discussed in more detail below). The basic principle is that it is required at the appointed time from one who is alive on behalf of himself and the members of his household, and he may include in the reward for it whoever he wishes, living or dead. With regard to udhiyah on behalf of one who is dead, if the deceased bequeathed up to one third of his wealth for that purpose, or included it in his waqf (endowment), then these wishes must be carried out, otherwise, if a person wishes to offer a sacrifice on behalf of someone who has died, this is a good deed and is considered to be giving charity on behalf of the dead. But the Sunnah is for a man to include the members of his household, living and deed, in his udhiyah, and when he slaughters it, he should say, “Allaahumma haadha ‘anni wa ‘an aali bayti (O Allaah, this is on behalf of myself and the members of my household” – he does not have to make a separate sacrifice on behalf of every deceased person.

The scholars agreed that sacrificing the animal and giving its meat in charity is better than giving its value in charity, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to make the sacrifice, and he did not do anything but that which is best and most befitting. This is the opinion of Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad.

What Is not allowed for a person who is offering the sacrifice?

What Kind of Animals can be sacrificed?

The Kind of animals prescribed for the sacrificed are camels, cattle and sheep.

The virtues of udhiyah and the best of udhiyah

A sheep is good enough as a sacrifice for one man and the members of his household and his children, because of the hadeeth of Abu Ayyoob: “At the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a man would sacrifice a sheep on behalf of himself and the members of his household, and they would eat from it and give some to others.” (Reported by Ibn Maajah and al-Tirmidhi, who classed it as saheeh)

A camel or cow is enough for seven people, because of the report narrated by Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “We sacrificed at al-Hudaybiyah with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a camel for seven and a cow for seven.” According to one version: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to share camels and cattle, each seven men sharing one animal.” According to another version: “So a cow would be sacrificed on behalf of seven men and we would share it.” (Reported by Muslim)

Ruling of udhiyah:

Udhiyah is one of the rituals of Islam. It is mentioned in Jawaahir al-Ikleel Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel that if the people of a city or country neglect udhiyah, they should be fought, because it is one of the rituals of Islam. (Rasaa’il Fiqhiyyah by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 46). There are two scholarly opinions on udhiyah:

that it is waajib (obligatory). This is the opinion of al-Oozaa’i, al-Layth and Abu Haneefah, and it is one of the two opinions narrated from Imaam Ahmad. It was also the opinion of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, and is one of the two opinions in the madhhab of Maalik, or is what seems to be the madhhab of Maalik. Those who favour this opinion take the following as evidence:

The aayah: “Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord anf sacrifice (to Him only).” [al-Kawthar 108:2]. This is a command, and a command implies that something is obligatory.

The hadeeth of Jundub (may Allaah be pleased with him), reported in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before he prays, let him slaughter another one in its place, and whoever did not slaughter a sacrifice, let him do so in the name of Allaah.’” (Reported by Muslim, 3621)

The hadeeth: “Whoever can afford to offer a sacrifice but does not do so, let him not approach our place or prayer.” (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah; classed as saheeh by al-Haakim from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him). It says in Fath al-Baari that its men are thiqaat).

(B) that it is a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu’akkadah). This is the opinion of the majority, and it is the madhhab of al-Shaafa’i and the better-known opinion of Maalik and Ahmad. But most of those who favour this opinion stated that it is makrooh (disliked) for the one who is able to offer a sacrifice to neglect to do so. They base their opinion on the following:

Jaabir said: “I prayed on Eid al-Adhaa with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and when he finished (the prayer), he was brought two rams, and he sacrificed them. He said, ‘In the Name of Allaah, Allaah is Most Great. This is on behalf of myself and any member of my ummah who did not offer a sacrifice.” (Sunan Abi Dawood bi Sharh Muhammad Shams al-Haq Abaadi, 7/486)

Conditions of udhiyah

The animal should have reached the required age, which is six months for a lamb, one year for a goat, two years for a cow and five years for a camel.

It should be free of any faults, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are four that will not do for sacrifice: a one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is obvious and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones .” (Saheeh, Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 886). There are milder defects that do not disqualify an animal, but it is makrooh to sacrifice such animals, such as an animal with a horn or ear missing, or an animal with slits in its ears, etc. Udhiyah is an act of worship to Allaah, and Allaah is Good and accepts only that which is good. Whoever honours the rites of Allaah, this has to do with the piety (taqwa) of the heart.

It is forbidden to sell it. If an animal has been selected for sacrifice, it is not permissible to sell it or give it away, except in exchange for one that is better. If an animal gives birth, its offspring should be sacrificed along with it. It is also permissible to ride it if necessary. The evidence for this is the report narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a man leading his camel and told him, “Ride it.” He said, “It is for sacrifice.” He said, “Ride it” a second or third time.

It should be sacrificed at the specified time, which is from after the prayer and khutbah of Eid – not from when the time for the prayer and khutbah starts – until before sunset on the last of the days of Tashreeq, which is the 13th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sacrifices before the prayer, let him repeat it.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The days of Nahr (Sacrifice) are the day of al-Adhaa and the three days following it.” This is also the opinion of al-Hasan al-Basri, ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah, al-Oozaa’i, al-Shaafa’i and Ibn al-Mundhir, may Allaah have mercy on them all.

What should be done with the sacrifice?

It is mustahabb (liked, preferable) for the one who has made a sacrifice to not eat anything on that day before he eats from it, if this is possible, because of the hadeeth, “Let every man eat from his sacrifice.” (Classed as saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5349). This eating should be after the Eid prayer and khutbah. This is the opinion of the scholars, including ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and others. The evidence for this is the hadeeth of Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not go out on the day of Fitr until he had eaten, and he would not eat on the day of Adhaa until he had slaughtered (his sacrifice).” (Al-Albaani said: its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Mishkaat, 1/452).

It is better for a person to slaughter the sacrifice himself, but if he does not, it is mustahabb for him to be present when it is slaughtered.

It is mustahaab to divide the meat into three: one third to be eaten, one third to be given as gifts and one third to be given in charity. This was the opinion of Ibn Mas’ood and Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them). The scholars agreed that it is not permissible to sell anything from its meat, fat or skin. In a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sells the skin of his udhiyah, there is no udhiyah for him (i.e., it is not counted as udhiyah).” (Classed as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6118). The butcher should not be given anything of it by way of reward or payment, because ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded me to take care of the sacrifice and to give its meat, skin and raiment ( covering used for protection ) in charity, and not to give anything of it to the butcher as a compensation . He said, ‘We will give him something from what we have.’” (Agreed upon). It was said that it is permissible to give the butcher something as a gift, and that it is permissible to give some of it to a kaafir if he is poor or a relative or a neighbour, or in order to open his heart to Islam. (Fataawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz).

Question: what should the Muslim avoid in the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah if he wants to offer a sacrifice?

The Sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice must refrain from taking anything from his hair, nails or skin from the first day of Dhu’l-Hijjah until he offers his sacrifice, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him not remove anything from his hair or nails until he has offered his sacrifice.” According to another report: “Let him not touch any part of his hair or nails.” (Reported by Muslim with four isnaads, 13/146). This command implies obligation and the prohibition implies that it is forbidden, according to the most correct opinion, because these are absolutes with no exceptions. If a person deliberately takes something (from his hair or nails), he must seek the forgiveness of Allaah, but he does not have to pay any fidyah (penalty), and his udhiyah is still valid. Whoever needs to remove some of his hair or nails because leaving it will cause him harm, such as a torn nail or a wound in a site covered by hair, should remove it, and there is no sin on him if he does so. This is not more serious than the muhrim (person in ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah) who is allowed to shave if not doing so will cause him harm. There is nothing wrong with men and women washing their hair during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only forbade removing hair, and because the muhrim is allowed to wash his head.

The wisdom behind the prohibition on removing hair and nails is because the one who is going to offer a sacrifice is like the one who is in ihraam for Hajj and ‘Umrah with regard to some rituals, which is the offering of a sacrifice in order to draw closer to Allaah. Thus some of the rulings of ihraam apply to the one who wants to offer a sacrifice, so he should not touch his hair and nails until he has slaughtered his sacrifice, in the hope that Allaah will release him from the fire of Hell. And Allaah knows best.

If a person removes some of his hair and nails during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah because he is not planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides to sacrifice, he should refrain from cutting his hair or nails from the moment he takes the decision.

There are some women who delegate their brothers or sons to do the sacrifice on their behalf so that they can cut their hair during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. This is not correct, because the ruling applies to the one who is making the sacrifice, whether he or she delegates someone else to do the actual slaughter or not. The prohibition does not apply to the person appointed, it applies to the person who wants to offer a sacrifice on behalf of himself, as is indicated by the hadeeth. As for the person who is doing the sacrifice on behalf of another, whether because of a will or because he has been delegated to do so, the prohibition does not apply to him.

It is apparent that this prohibition applies to the one who is offering the sacrifice, and does not extend to his wife or children, unless one of them is offering a sacrifice on his or her own behalf. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to sacrifice on behalf of the family of Muhammad, and it was not reported that he forbade them to remove anything of their hair or nails.

Whoever is planning to offer a sacrifice, then decides to go for Hajj, should not remove anything of his hair or nails when he wants to enter ihraam, because this is Sunnah only when there is a need for it. But if he is doing Hajj “tamattu’” [where one performs ‘Umrah, then ends ihraam and enters a new state of ihraam for Hajj], he should shorten his hair when he finishes ‘Umrah because that is part of the ritual.

The things that are forbidden for the person who wants to offer a sacrifice are reported in the hadeeth quoted above. It is not forbidden for him to wear perfume or to have intercourse with his wife or to wear sewn garments and so on . And Allah knows best. (courtesy of islam-qa.com)

Udhiyah – What should be eaten and what should be given away?

Question :


What should we do with the udhiyah? Should we divide it into thirds or quarters?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

It is prescribed for the person who offers the sacrifice to eat some of the meat, to give some as gifts and to give some in charity, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor having a hard time”

[al-Hajj 22:28]

“eat thereof, and feed the poor who does not ask (men), and the beggar who asks (men). Thus have We made them subject to you that you may be grateful”
[al-Hajj 22:36]

It was narrated from Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Eat some, give some to others and store some.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari. Giving some to others includes both giving gifts to the rich and giving charity to the poor.

It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Eat some, store some and give some in charity.” Narrated by Muslim.

The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) differed concerning the amounts that should be eaten and given as gifts and in charity. The matter is broad in scope but the best way is to eat one-third, give one-third as gifts and give one-third in charity. What one is permitted to eat may also be stored, even for a long time, so long as that will not result in any harm being caused by eating it, except in times of famine, when it is not permitted to store it for more than three days, because of the hadeeth of Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you offers a sacrifice should not have anything of it left in his house after three days.” The following year, they said, “O Messenger of Allaah, should we do what we did last year?” He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Eat some, give some to others and store some, for last year the people were having a hard time and I wanted you to help (the needy).” Agreed upon.

With regard to the permission to eat and give away the meat of the udhiyah it makes no difference whether the sacrifice is voluntary or obligatory, or whether it is offered on behalf of a living person or a deceased one, or in fulfillment of a will, because the executor of the will takes the place of the person who made it, and the person who made the will would eat, give away and give in charity. And because this is the custom among people, and that which is done customarily is like that which is spoken.

In the case of one who has been delegated to offer the sacrifice, if the person who appointed him has given him permission to eat of it and give some as gifts and in charity, or if that is indicated by analogy or by custom, then he may do that, otherwise he should give it to the person who appointed him, who is then in charge of the distribution of the meat.

It is haraam to sell any part of the udhiyah, whether that is the meat or any other part, including the skin. And the butcher should not be given any part of it in return for his work or part of it, because that is like selling.

But if a person gives the butcher some of it as a gift or as an act of charity, then he may dispose of it however he wishes, by selling it or otherwise, but he should not sell it to the one who gave it to him.








Sharing in a sacrifice

Is it permissible to share in a sacrifice, and how many Muslims can share in a sacrifice?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible to share in a sacrifice if it is a camel or a cow, but it is not permissible to share in a sheep. It is permissible for seven people to share one camel or cow.

It is narrated that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) shared sacrifices: seven people would share a camel or a cow in Hajj and ‘Umrah.

Muslim (1318) narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “On the day of al-Hudaybiyah we offered the sacrifice with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a camel on behalf of seven and a cow on behalf of seven.

According to another report, it was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: We performed Hajj with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we sacrificed a camel on behalf of seven and a cow on behalf of seven.

Abu Dawood (2808) narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A cow on behalf of seven and a camel on behalf of seven.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim:

These ahaadeeth indicate that it is permissible to share in the sacrifice, but they are unanimously agreed that it not permissible to share in a sheep. These ahaadeeth indicate that a camel is sufficient on behalf of seven people, and a cow is sufficient on behalf of seven people, and each of them takes the place of seven sheep. So if a muhrim is required to offer seven sacrifices –except in the case of the penalty for hunting – and he slaughters a camel or a cow, that is equivalent to them all. End quote.

The Standing Committee was asked about sharing in the sacrifice and they replied:

A camel or a cow is sufficient on behalf of seven people, whether they are all from one family or are from different families, and whether they are related to one another or not, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission to the Sahaabah to share a camel or a cow, one animal for every seven people, and he did not say anything more specific than that. End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/401

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Ahkaam al-Udhiyah:

One sheep is sufficient for one person, and one-seventh of a camel or cow is sufficient for what one sheep is sufficient for. End quote.





Slaughtering the sacrifice is better than giving its price in charity


Question :


If there are poor people in my country who need money, can I give them the price of the sacrifice in charity, or should I offer the sacrifice?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Slaughtering the sacrifice is better than giving its price in charity, because that was what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Muslims with him did. And because the sacrifice is one of the ritual of Islam; if the people turn away from it and give charity instead, that symbol will die out. If giving the price of the sacrifice in charity was better than slaughtering the sacrifice, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have explained that to his ummah in word and deed, because he did not omit to explain anything that was good for the ummah. Indeed, if giving charity was equal to offering the sacrifice he would have explained that too, because it is easier than going to the trouble of offering the sacrifice. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never failed to point out the easier option to his ummah when it was equal to the more difficult option. There was a famine during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he said, “Whoever among you offers a sacrifice should not keep any of it in his house for more than three days.”

The following year, they said, “O Messenger of Allaah, should we do what we did last year?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Eat and feed the poor and store some, for last year the people were having a hard time and I wanted you to help them.” Agreed upon.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Sacrifice when prescribed is better than giving its price in charity. He said, Hence even if you give many times more the value of the sacrifice for tamattu’ and qiraan, it will never take its place, and the same applies to udhiyah.



Risaalat Ahkaam al-Udhiyah wa’l-Dhakaah

It is essential that the sacrificial animal be slaughtered by a Muslim with the intention of offering a sacrifice (udhiyah)

Praise be to Allaah.

It is a necessary condition of the sacrifice that the animal be slaughtered by a Muslim with the intention of offering a sacrifice (udhiyah); it is not sufficient to slaughter it for the meat.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (8/380): The intention is a condition of the sacrifice being valid.

There is nothing wrong with buying the animal in the manner described in the question, so long as the worker slaughters it with the intention of offering a sacrifice. That is if the worker is a Muslim; otherwise one of you should slaughter it, then the worker can cut it up.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (7/494):

It is not correct to delegate the slaughter of the udhiyah (sacrifice) to a kitaabi (i.e., a Jew or a Christian), even though meat slaughtered by the People of the Book is halaal. Because slaughtering the sacrifice is an act of worship, it is not correct to delegate it to a kitaabi, as a kitaabi cannot be involved in acts of worship that draw the Muslim closer to Allaah, because he is a kaafir (disbeliever) whose worship is not accepted. If his acts of worship are not valid when done on his own behalf, they cannot be valid when done on behalf of another. But if a kitaabi is delegated to slaughter regular meat for eating, there is nothing wrong with that.

And Allaah knows best.





Speaking the intention out loud when slaughtering the sacrifice

Praise be to Allaah.

The seat of the intention is the heart, and whatever a person intends in his heart is sufficient. He should not speak the intention out loud, rather he should say Bismillaah and Allaahu akbar when slaughtering it, because it was proven in al-Saheehayn that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) slaughtered two rams with his own hand, and he said Bismillaah and Allaahu akbar.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7/130, no. 5554; Muslim, 3/1556, no. 1966; Ahmad, 3/115.

There is nothing wrong with you saying, “O Allaah, this is a sacrifice on behalf of my father.” This does not mean that you are speaking the intention out loud.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas. (www.islam-qa.com)




What should the one who wants to offer a sacrifice refrain from doing?



If the onset of Dhu’l-Hijjah has been proven and a person wants to offer a sacrifice, it is haraam for him to remove anything from the hair on his body or to cut his nails or any part of his skin. It is not forbidden for him to wear new clothes or to put on henna or perfume, or to be intimate with his wife or have intercourse with her.

This ruling applies only to the one who is going to offer the sacrifice, and not to the rest of his family, and not to the one whom he appoints to slaughter the sacrifice on his behalf. None of these things are forbidden for his wife or children, or for his deputy.

No differentiation is made between men and women with regard to this ruling. If a woman wants to offer a sacrifice on her own behalf, whether she is married or not, then she should refrain from removing any hair from her body or cutting her nails, because of the general meaning of the texts which state that that is not allowed.


It was narrated from Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him refrain from (removing anything) from his hair or nails.” Narrated by Muslim, 1977. According to another version: “Let him not remove anything of his hair or skin.”

None of these things are haraam for the one who does not intend to offer a sacrifice because he is unable to. Whoever removes anything from his hair or nails although he plans to offer a sacrifice does not have to offer any fidyah (ransom), but he has to repent and seek forgiveness.


The best kinds of animals for udhiyah


Praise be to Allaah.

The best type of animals for udhiyah are: camels, then cows – if sacrificed on behalf of one person; then sheep; then goats; then one-seventh of a camel; then one-seventh of a cow. The best type of animals are those which are fat and have more meat, and are physically complete and good looking.

In Saheeh al-Bukhaari it is narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to sacrifice two horned rams that were white speckled with black.

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sacrificed a whole (i.e., not castrated), horned male sheep, with a black face and black (circles) round the eyes, and black legs. This was narrated by the four. Al-Tirmidhi said, it is hasan saheeh; it was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2796.

It was narrated that Abu Raafi’ the freed slave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered a sacrifice, he would buy two fat rams. According to one version, castrated rams. Narrated by Ahmad, classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3122.

Fat means an animal that has a lot of fat and meat. Castrated means one that has had its testicles removed – this is usually better than an uncastrated animal with regard to the taste of the meat, but the uncastrated animal is more complete in a physical sense.

These are the best kinds of sacrifice with regard to type and characteristics.

With regard to those that are makrooh, they are as follows:

1- Those who have had one half or more of their ears or horns cut off.

2- Those whose ears have been slit crosswise from the front.

3- Those whose ears have been slit crosswise from the back.

4- Those whose ears have been slit lengthwise.

5- Those whose ears have had a hole made in them.

6- Those whose ears have been cut until the ear channel is visible; or it was said that the same [Arabic] word means those that are so emaciated that there is no marrow in their bones.

7- Those whose horns have been removed entirely.

8- Those that are completely blind even though the eyes are still present.

9- Those which do not follow the flock and join it unless they are herded and driven to do so.

These are the animals that it is makrooh to sacrifice, as narrated in the ahaadeeth which forbid sacrificing those that have these faults or enjoin avoiding such animals. This is understood as meaning that it is makrooh, when these reports are taken in conjunction with the hadeeth of al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked, “What should be avoided in the sacrificial animals?” He gestured with his hand and said, “Four: a lame animal which is obviously lame, a one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, and an emaciated animal that no one would choose.” Narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’.

Animals with similar faults are also added to this list, so it is makrooh to sacrifice the following kinds of animals:

1- Camels, cattle and goats that have had half or more of their tails cut off.

2- Those which have had less than half of their fat tails cut off. If half or more has been cut off, then according to the majority of scholars it is unsuitable for sacrifice. If it was born that way, however, there is nothing wrong with it.

3- An animal whose penis has been cut off.

4- An animal that has lost some of its teeth, whether incisors or molars. But if it was born like that it is not makrooh to sacrifice it.

5- An animal whose teats have been cut off. But if it was born like that it is not makrooh to sacrifice it. If its milk has stopped flowing but its teats are intact, there is nothing wrong with it.

If these five are added to the nine mentioned above, the number of makrooh animals reaches fourteen.



Risaalat Ahkaam al-Audhiyah wa’l-Dhakaah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthyameen (may Allaah have mercy on him). (www.islam-qa.com)




The family of the one who is offering a sacrifice may cut their hair or nails during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah

Ques
1 – This is the apparent meaning of the hadeeth, which indicates that the prohibition applies only to the one who is going to offer the sacrifice. Based on this, the prohibition applies only to the head of the household, not to the members of his family, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the ruling to the one who is going to offer the sacrifice, so what is understood is that this ruling does not apply to those on whose behalf the sacrifice is offered.

2 – The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to offer the sacrifice on behalf of his household and it is not narrated that he said to them, “Do not remove anything from your hair or nails or skin.” If that had been forbidden for them, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have told them not to do it. This view is the more correct opinion.

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slicing is tashreek because poeples at that tme use dto slice the meat and dry it












Firstly. One sacrifice is sufficient on behalf of all the members of a household, no matter how many of them there are..

Al-Tirmidhi (1505) narrated that ‘Ata’ ibn Yassaar said: I asked Abu Ayyoob: How was the sacrifice done at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? He said: A man would offer a sheep on behalf of himself and the members of his family, and they would eat some and feed others with some.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

As I said I am doing this email in brief so that the main points are know for the New Muslims. The greater in depth knowledge material is on the following link

sacrifice per household

2 Next is What is the time when the sacrifice should be slaughtered?.

The time for offering the sacrifice begins after the Eid prayer on Eid al-Adha and ends when the sun sets on the thirteenth of Dhu’l-Hijjah

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Zaad al-Ma’aad (2/319):

‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The days of sacrifice are the Day of Sacrifice (yawm al-nahr) and the three days after it.” This is the view of the imam of the people of Basra, al-Hasan; the imam of the people of Makkah, ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah; the imam of the people of Syria, al-Awzaa’i; and the imam of the fuqaha’ of hadeeth, al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him). It was also the view favoured by Ibn al-Mundhir. The three days are specified because they are the days of Mina, the days of stoning (the Jamaraat) and the day of al-Tashreeq. It is forbidden to fast on these days. It was narrated via two isnaads, one of which supports the other, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of Mina is the place of sacrifice, and all the days of al-tashreeq are days of sacrifice.” End quote.

The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2476

Also A person doesnt eat before going to Eid prayer which occurs on the 10th of dhul hijjah of the Islamic Calendar. SO the person comes home form Eid prayer and eats.

Ahmad (22475) narrated that Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not go out on the day of (Eid) al-Fitr until he had eaten, and he did not eat on the day of (Eid) al-Adha until he came back, then he would eat from his sacrifice.

Al-Zayla’i narrated in Nasb al-Raayah (2/221) that Ibn al-Qattaan classed it as saheeh.
That is the best thing to do.

3.How do you distribute the meat

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim reported that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Some poor families among the people of the desert came to al-Madeenah on the occasion of ‘Eid al-Adhaa at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Keep with you meat sufficient for three days, and whatever is left, give in charity.’ After that, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, the people made water-skins with [the hides of] their sacrificial animals, and they rendered the fat from them. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘What about it?’ They said, ‘You forbade us to eat the meat of our sacrificial animals after three days.’ He said, ‘I forbade you to do that because of the people who came, but now eat some and preserve some and give some in charity.’” (Reported by Muslim, 3643).

Ahmad said: “We go along with the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah (ibn ‘Abbaas – may Allaah be pleased with them both): ‘He should eat one third himself, feed one third to whomever he wants, and give one third in charity.” (Reported by Abu Moosa al-Isfahaani in al-Wazaa’if; he said it is a hasan hadeeth. This is also the opinion of Ibn Mas’ood and Ibn ‘Umar. No conflicting opinion is known among the Sahaabah. Al-Mughni, 8/632).

Some scholars also say that it is sunnah to eat this meat. So one should at least eat soem of it and not just send money abroad and ask people to buy a sheep and then sacrifice it and distribute it all to the poor people.

Allah does not limit us from giveing charity. We can give charity at all times.

Some people think that this meat is for the poor and give it as charity. However this is not about charity but it is about sacrificing.

The prophet Ibraheem (peace be upon him) was ordered to Sacrifice his son as a test of his obediance to Allah’s commands. He prepared to carry out this command and His son (Ismail peace be upon him) was also willing to be sacrificed. So obediance to Allah’s commands was by teh whole houshold.


Allah says in the Quran in Surah As-Safaat
83. And, verily, among those who followed his [Nûh’s (Noah)] way (Islâmic Monotheism) was Ibrâhim (Abraham).
84. When he came to his Lord with a pure heart [attached to Allâh Alone and none else, worshipping none but Allâh Alone true Islâmic Monotheism, pure from the filth of polytheism].
85. When he said to his father and to his people: “What is it that which you worship?
86. “Is it a falsehood âliha (gods) other than Allâh that you seek?
87. “Then what do you think about the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns, and all that exists)?”
88. Then he cast a glance at the stars (to deceive them),
89. And he said: “Verily, I am sick (with plague. He did this trick to remain in their temple of idols to destroy them and not to accompany them to the pagan’s feast).”
90. So they turned away from him, and departed (for fear of the disease).
91. Then he turned to their âliha (gods) and said: “Will you not eat (of the offering before you)?
92. “What is the matter with you that you speak not?”
93. Then he turned upon them, striking (them) with (his) right hand.
94. Then they (the worshippers of idols) came, towards him, hastening.
95. He said: “Worship you that which you (yourselves) carve?
96. “While Allâh has created you and what you make!”
97. They said: “Build for him a building (it is said that the building was like a furnace) and throw him into the blazing fire!”
98. So they plotted a plot against him, but We made them the lowest.
99. And he said (after his rescue from the fire): “Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me!”
100. “My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.”
101. So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy.
102. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allâh), so look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Inshâ’ Allâh (if Allâh will), you shall find me of As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.).”
103. Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allâh), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering);
104. And We called out to him: “O Abraham!
105. You have fulfilled the dream (vision)!” Verily! Thus do We reward the Muhsinûn (good-doers – see V.2:112).
106. Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial
107. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. ßÈÔ – a ram);
108. And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times.
109. Salâmun (peace) be upon Ibrâhim (Abraham)!”
110. Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinûn (good-doers – see V.2:112).
111. Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves.

(quran 37:83-111)

Thus through this udhiyah we learn that Islam is about submitting to Allahs commands and sacrifice.

One scholar refering to this Udhiyah and these verses said If Allah asks for your life you give your life and if he asks for a lamb you give a lamb.


Allah says

Say (O Muhammad ): “Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).(quran 6:162)
Thus in Islam mankind sacrifices for Allah the most precious thing to him when ever Allah asks him to do so.

The christians strangely believe that it is God who sacrices his son for Humans. yet in their bible they still have the story about Ibreheem sacrifising his son Ismaeel. Another contradition. Who sacrifies for whom? Seems the bible writers forgot to take that story out when they were adding and deleting what they didnt like from the bible and what they wanted in the bible.

How can anyone with soem sense make the All mighty lower than humans. It is humans who need to please Allah and sacrifice for Allah and in return Allah gives us Jannah InshaAllah and removes our sins. Christians should think what can we give God. When everything belongs to God. Isnt it we who sin and need sins to be forgiven by God

Muslim Converts Admin