SACRIFICE SECTION · 5 – AGE LIMITS FOR SACRIFICES
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that it was said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “Do not slaughter for sacrifice any animal except one which has reached a certain age. If you find it difficult, then slaughter an animal which has completed six months.” [531]
Explanation:
*Müsinne*: This term means aged or old. For sheep and goats, it refers to animals that have completed their first year and are entering their second year; for cattle and buffaloes, it refers to those that have completed their second year and are entering their third year; and for camels, it refers to those that have completed their fifth year.
It is permissible to sacrifice sheep and goats that have entered their second year, cattle and buffaloes that have entered their third year, and camels that have entered their sixth year. However, a lamb which has completed six months and a ram of one year old may also be sacrificed because *cez’a* refers to a lamb that has completed six months and a ram of one year old.
Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, distributed sacrificial animals among the companions. He gave me a one-year-old lamb.
Zayd said: I brought the lamb to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, "This is a small lamb." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded me, “Slaughter it.” So I slaughtered it.
Asim bin Kulayb narrated from his father, Kulayb, that he said:
We were in the company of a man named Muja’ from the tribe of Banu Sulaim, who was among the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Sheep had become very valuable. So the Prophet ﷺ ordered a crier. The crier announced: “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said: ‘(The young animal that replaces the) lamb and kid is [the animal] whose teeth have changed.’”
COMMENTARY
*Seniyyu:* This term refers to goats and sheep that have shed their first set of teeth and grown a second; cattle that have shed their first set of teeth and grown a second; and camels that have shed their first set of teeth and grown a second. This honorable hadith is evidence that one may sacrifice a lamb that has completed six months if sheep are not available.
Asim bin Kulayb, may Allah be pleased with him, was among the most knowledgeable people of Kufa. He was a virtuous person. Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the trustworthy transmitters. He died in 139 [AH]. (Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 5, p. 56)
Berâ b. Âzib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) addressed us from the pulpit after the prayer on the Day of Sacrifice, saying: “Whoever prays like we pray and slaughters his sacrifice like we do, he has certainly struck [his intended target] in terms of the sacrifice and fulfilled his obligation. Whoever slaughters his sacrifice before the Eid prayer, then that meat is considered as for a sheep.”
Abû Bürda b. Niyyar stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him)! By God, I slaughtered my sacrifice before setting out for the Eid prayer, and I hastened because I knew this was a day for eating and drinking.” He added, "I ate from its meat, and I fed my family and neighbors."
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “It is considered as for a sheep.”
Then Abû Bürda asked again: “I have a female kid that has not reached the age of one year; it is better than two meat sheep. Will it suffice for my sacrifice?”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: "Yes, it will suffice for you, but it will never suffice for anyone after you.” [534]
COMMENTARY:
*Anak:* A female kid that has not completed one year. This honorable hadith is evidence that slaughtering the sacrifice is permissible until the Eid prayer is performed and the sermon is delivered; and that a young goat (kid) which has not reached the age of one year, no matter how well-fed it may be, cannot be a sacrifice.
Berâ b. Âzib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
My cousin, Abu Burda, slaughtered an animal before the Eid prayer.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, “You have slaughtered a sheep.”
My cousin said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him), I have a young goat that has been raised with me."
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Slaughter it [as a sacrifice], and it is not permissible for anyone else to slaughter [a similar animal].”