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CHAPTER-NINETEEN : The Sacrifice

The sacrifice is a sheep that is slaughtered after the 'Eid-ul-'Adhaa prayer, seeking nearness to Allaah, the Most High, by offering this sacrifice. Allaah, the Perfect and Free of all defects and the Most High, says: "Say (Oh Muhammad). Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the worlds"110

Here the word "sacrifice" means "slaughtering so as to seek nearness to Allaah, Exalted be He."111

The scholars have differed with respect to its ruling. However, that which seems to be the strongest opinion from the differing evidences is that the sacrifice is obligatory and here - my Muslim brothers - are some of the ahaadeeth which have been used as an evidence by the ones who say it is obligatory:

1. From Aboo Hurairah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: "The Messenger of Allaah (SAW) said: 'Whosoever has the capability and does not offer a sacrifice, then let him not approach our musallaa."'112 The inference of proof from the hadeeth is that when he (SAW) prohib ited one who has the ability and does not offer a sacrifice from approaching the musallaa , he (SAW) highlighted the fact that the one not offering a sacrifice has left an obligatory act. Therefore it is as if he (SAW) is saying that there is no benefit in seeking nearness to Allaah while at the same time leaving this obligatory act.

2. From Jundub bin 'Abdullaah al-Bajalee (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: "I witnessed the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) say on the day of Nahr (slaughtering). 'Whomsoever slaughtered before praying, then let him replace it with another sacrifice and whomsoever has not slaughtered then let him slaughter "' 113 The "order" is clear in showing that it is obligatory, and nothing has come114 to take the order away from its clear meaning.

3. From Mikhnaf bin Sulaaim who witnessed the Prophet (SAW) say while giving a sermon on the day of 'Arafah: "It is the duty of the people of every household to offer the sacrifice of 'Atariyah every year115 and do you know what 'Atariyah is? It is what the people call ar-Rajabiyah"116

This contains within it an obligatory order. As for 'Atariyah, then it has been abrogated but its abrogation does not necessitate the abro gation of the sacrifice of 'Eid, as that remains upon the original guide line and principal.

Ibn Atheer said: "'Atariyah has been abrogated and this occurred in the beginning of Islaam."117

As for the ones who oppose this stance, then their biggest doubt lead ing them to the conclusion that the sacrifice is Sunnah, is the saying of the Messenger (SAW): "When the (first) ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah) come and one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, then let him not remove anything from his hair or from his skin (fingernails)"118 so they said:119 "This contains an evidence showing that the sacrifice is not obligatory, because he (SAW) said, 'and if one of you wants to offer a sacrifice' Therefore, if it was obligatory he would not have left it to one's will."

Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah - after deeming that the strongest opinion is that of the sacrifice being obligatory - replied to this doubt by saying:120

The ones who deny that the sacrifice is obligatory, do not have a text to support them. Indeed the cornerstone of their view is the saying of the Prophet (SAW): 'whoever wants to offer a sacrifice ...'

"Thus they said an obligation would not be connected to wishes/wants. These words are general, since an obligation is not entrusted, to the wishes of the servant, so that it is said: 'If you wish do this'. Rather, an obligation may be attached to a condition in order to explain a legal verdict; like the saying of Allaah: "when you stand for prayer then wash."121 They (scholars) determined that the meaning of this is "when you intend to stand for prayer.."

Similarly they determined that it meant: When you intend to recite (the Qur'aan), seek refuge in Allaah. Purification for prayer is obligatory and recitation in the prayer is obligatory. Indeed Allaah says: "Verily this (Qur'aan) is no less than a reminder to all the Mankind and Jinn. To whomsoever amongst you wills to walk straight."122 and wanting to be upright in the Deen is an obligation. Then he, (Ibn Taymeeyah) may Allaah have mercy on him, said:123 "...Also, it is not obligatory upon everybody to offer a sacrifice. Rather it is obligatory upon the one who has the ability. As such a per son is the one who wants to offer a sacrifice. Just as he (SAW) said: "Whoever wants to make Hajj then let him hasten for indeed a thing may deviate him from it and a need may prevent him from performing it"124 Indeed Hajj is obligatory upon everyone who has the ability. Therefore, the saying of the Prophet (SAW): "Whoever wants to offer a sacrifice" is like his (SAW) saying: "Whoever wants to make Hajj..." Imaam al-'Aynee125 has replied to the reasoning of those who say it is not obligatory, when explaining the saying of the author of al-Hidaayah:126 "... and the meaning of 'want' from that which has been narrated - and Allaah knows best - is the opposite of inadvertence and not an option."

So al-'Aynee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The intended meaning is not a choice between leaving and permit ting. Rather it becomes as if he (SAW) said: 'whoever amongst you intends to offer a sacrifice' and this option does not point to a nega tion of the obligation. Just as in his (SAW) saying: "Whomsoever wants to pray then let him make wudoo"127 and his saying: "whomsoever amongst you wants to pray Jum 'ah then let him make ghusl"128

i.e. whoever intends it, no option is found and likewise this one (i.e. the sacrifice)." As for the deduction of proof from the reasoning that the Prophet (SAW) did not obligate the sacrifice upon his ummah, as in Sunan Aboo Dawood (2810) Sunan at-Tirmidhee (1574), Musnad Ahmad ( 3/356) with an authentic chain of narration from Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah - then it is a reasoning which does not hold, since it can be understood by har monising the evidences together - to mean those of the ummah who do not have the ability.

Therefore he who is unable to offer the sacrifice has the ruling of it being obligatory removed from him from the onset, and Allaah knows best.

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FOOTNOTES:

110. Soorah al-An'aam 6:162

111. Refer to Minhaaj al-Muslim (355-356).

112. Reported by Ahmad (1/321), Ibn Maajah (3123) ad-Daaraqutnee (2/545), al Haakim (2/392) and (4/231) and its chain is hasan.

113. Reported by al-Bukhaaree (5562), Muslim (1960) an-Nasaa'ee (7/224), Ibn Maajah (3152), at-Tayaalisee (936) and Ahmad (4/312-313).

114. The reply to the most significant evidences used by those who say the sacrifice is Sunnah shall come later.

115. Aboo 'Ubaid said in Ghareeb-ul-Hadeeth (1/195): "It is a sacrifice made in the month of Rajab, by which the people in Jahiliyaah used to get closer to their deities. Then Islaam came along and the sacrifice remained until it was abrogated."

116. Reported by Ahmad (4/215), Ibn Maajah (3125), Aboo Daawood (2788), al Baghaawee (1128), at-Tirmidhee (1518). an-Nasaa'ee (7/167) and in the isnaad is Aboo Ramlah and he is majhool (unknown). The hadeeth has other chains of nar ration found with Ahmad (5/67). However the isnaad is da eef (weak) and because of this at-Tirmidhee in his Sunan declared the hadeeth to be hasan and Haafidh Ibn Hajr, in Fath-ul-Baaree (10/4) declared it strong (because of other ahaadeeth). Refer to al-Isaabah (9/151).

117. Jaami'-ul-Usool (3/317) and refer to al-Adillat-ul-Mutma'innah Thuboot il-Naskh fil-Kitaab was-Sunuah (103-105) and al-Mughnee (8/650-651).

118. Muslim (1977), Aboo Daawood (2791). an-Nasaa'ee (7/211-212), al-Baghawee (1127), Ibn Maajah (3149), al-Baihaqee (9/266), Ahmad (6/289),(6/301, 311), al- Haakim (4/220), at-Tahaawee in Sharh Ma'aanee al-Aathaar (4/181) reported from several chains of narration from Umm Salamah.

119. al-Majmoo (8/301). Mughnee al-Muhtaaj (4/282) Sharh-us-Sunnah (4/348) and al-Muhalla (8/3).

120. Majmoo al-Fataawaa (23/162-164).

121. Soorah al-Maa'idah 5:6.

122. Soorah at-Takweer 81:27-28.

123. Majmoo a/-Fataawaa (23/162-164).

124. Reported by Ahmad (1/213,323,355) Ibn Maajah (3883). Aboo Nu'aim in Hilyah (1/114) from al-Fadl. There is a weakness in it's isnaad. However the hadeeth has been found via another chain of narration with Aboo Daawood (1732), ad- Daarimee(2/28), al-Haakim (1/448), Ahmad (1/225) but that too has a weakness. Nevertheless because of all these asaaneed the hadeeth becomes hasan, inshaAllaah. Refer to Irwaa al-Ghaleel by our teacher al-Albaanee (4/168-169).

125. In al-Binaayah fee Sharh-al-Hidaayah (9/106-114).

126. It is a book called al-Hidaayah Sharh-al-Bidaayah concerning the Hanafee jurisprudence. It is also from amongst the books that adhere to the Hanafee school of thought, as taken from Kashf al-Dhanoon (2/2031-2040). It is from the works of Imaam 'Alee bin Aboo Bakr Margiyaanee, who died in the year 593 A.H. His biog raphy is found in al-Fawaa'id al-Bahiyah by al-Lucknowee (p.141).

127. I did not find the hadeeth with this wording, but that which follows the hadeeth sufffices us with regard to using it as proof.

128. Reported with this wording by Muslim (844) from the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar, al- Bukhaaree reports the hadeeth but with another wording (877,894,919).