TAG: Eid al-Adha
Udhiyah – Conditions And Purpose Of The Sacrifice
We would like to stress that udhiyah is one of the great rituals of Islam, in which we remember the Oneness of Allah, His Blessings upon us and the obedience of our father Ibrahim to his Lord, and in this act of udhiyah there is much goodness and blessing. So the Muslims must pay attention to its great importance. The following is a brief look at this important ritual. Udhiyah refers to the animal (camel, cattle or sheep) offered as a sacrifice, and it is an act of worship dedicated solely to gain Allah’s pleasure. Udhiyah takes place in the country in which the person offering the sacrifice lives, during the period from after the Eid prayer on the Day of Nahr or Eid Al-Adha until the last of the Days of Tashreeq (the 13th day of Dhu’l-Hijja), with the intention of offering sacrifice. Allah says: Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only). (108:2)
He also says: Say (O Muhammad – peace be upon him ): “Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the Aalamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). (6:162)
“And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that they may mention the Name of Allah over the beast of cattle that He has given them for food. And your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God Allah) so you must submit to Him Alone (in Islam)” (22:34)
Udhiyah is a confirmed Sunnah or Sunnah Muakkadah according to the majority of scholars (some scholars say that it is wajib or obligatory).
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 whoever he wishes, living or dead.
Conditions of Udhiyah
1) 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.
2) It should be free of any faults, because the Prophet (peace 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.” (Sahih Al-Jami, 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 Allah, and Allah is Good and accepts only that which is good. Whoever honors the rites of Allah, this has to do with the piety of the heart.
3) 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-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw a man leading his camel and told him, “Ride it.” He said, “It is for sacrifice.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Ride it” a second or third time.
Eid al-Adha Aur Hajj
The Method of Slaughtering Animal
1. The method of slaughtering an animal is that the animal should be placed on the ground with the face towards the qiblah. The person should take a sharp knife, recite Bismillahi Allahu Akbar and cut the neck of the animal in such a manner that four veins (or passage ways) are cut off. They are: the air passage, the gullet, and the two jugular veins which are on either side of the gullet and the air passage. If only three out of these four are cut, the slaughter will be valid and the animal will be halaal. If only two of the four are cut, the animal will be considered to be dead and it will not be permissible to consume the meat of such an animal.
2. At the time of slaughtering the person intentionally did not take the name of Allah Ta’ala. The animal will be considered to be dead and it will be haraam to consume it. But if a person forgets to take the name of Allah Ta’ala, the animal will be halaal.
3. It is makruh to slaughter an animal with a blunt knife as this causes much suffering to the animal. It is also makruh to begin skinning, cutting, and breaking the hands and feet of the animal before it can become cold (meaning, before it can become lifeless). Similarly, it is makruh to continue cutting the animal’s neck after having cut the four passageways.
4. At the time of slaughtering a fowl, its entire neck got cut off. It is permissible to eat such a fowl, and not makruh. However, it is makruh to slaughter the fowl in such a manner, although consuming it is not makruh.
5. Slaughtering of an animal by a Muslim is permissible under any condition. This is irrespective of whether the Muslim is a male, a female, in a state of purity or in a state of impurity. In all conditions, an animal slaughtered by a Muslim is halaal. An animal slaughtered by a non-Muslim is haraam.
The Essence Of Qurbani
History of Qurbani
Qurbani (Sacrifice) is an ancient form of worship that is prevalent since the time of Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam). The first sacrifice to be offered was that of Haabil and Qaabil, the two sons of Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam). Hazrat Bibi Hawa (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) used to give birth to twins and Haabil was born with Leewa while Qaabil was born with Aqleemah. In terms of the Shariah during that time, Aqleemah was unlawful for Qaabil but Leewa was lawful for him. But because Aqleemah was prettier Qaabil tried to marry her. He argued with Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) who eventually told both his sons to offer a sacrifice, and the one whose sacrifice is burned by a heavenly fire would be true and sincere. Thus Qaabil brought a heap of wheat and Haabil slaughtered a sheep and placed it on a mountain. A fire from an unknown source appeared and burnt the meat, leaving the wheat untouched. At this miraculous happening Qaabil became jealous and made a firm intention to kill Haabil. [Tafseer Noorul Irfaan]
Referring to this incident, Allah Ta’ala states in the Glorious Qur’an And narrates to them the true story about the two sons of Adam, when each of them offered a sacrifice (to Allah). It was accepted by one but rejected by the other. He (Qaabil) said I swear that I shall kill
you. The other (Haabil) said Allah accepts (the offering) only from the God-fearing. [Surah 5, Verse 27]
From this verse, we learn that the eating of sacrificial meat was not permissible for the previous Ummahs. Their accepted sacrifice would be burnt by fire from Almighty Allah, while the rejected sacrifice would be left to rot. The eating of sacrificial meat is a distinctive privilege of the Ummah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). [Tafseer Noorul Irfaan] We can therefore see how Allah Ta’ala has bestowed His special favor upon us just because we are the Ummatis of His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Subhaanallah!
The month of Hajj and the day of Eid-ul-Adha remind us of the sacrifices of Hazrat Ibrahim Khaleelullah (Alaihis Salaam). Allah Ta’ala loved his act of devotion and sacrifice so much that He has made it incumbent on us to follow this beautiful Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) till the Day of Qiyaamah. In fact, sacrifices have been made for Allah Ta’ala since the time of Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) yet it was that of Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) that Allah Ta’ala made incumbent on us to follow, further emphasizing how much Allah Ta’ala loved that act. From this, we also learn that true devotion to Almighty Allah demands that one must be willing to sacrifice everything in the name of Allah, whether it be wealth, family, or life.
Qurbani instills in us selflessness, sharing, and sacrifice and removes from us the carnal desire to hoard money. The intention of Qurbani is not to feed or eat the meat of Qurbani, but to fulfill a command of Allah Ta’ala and to renew the Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam). The Holy
Qur’an bears testament to this in the following verse, “Neither their flesh reaches to Allah nor their blood, but your piety reaches Him.” [Surah 22, Verse 37]
Significance of Qurbani
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) once said to his beloved daughter Hazrat Bibi Fatima (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha), “You must stand in the presence of your animal sacrifice, and bear witness to it, for then you will be granted forgiveness, with the first drop of blood that drips from it, for every sin you have committed. (As you stand there) you must say “Inna Salaati wa Nusuki wa Mahyaaya wa Mamaati Lillaahi Rabbil Aalameen”” [Ghunyalit Taalibi Tareeqal Haq, Vol. 3]
What Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) told Hazrat Bibi Fatima (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) to recite in the above Hadith is a verse of the Holy Qur’an, the translation of which is, Undoubtedly, my prayer, and my sacrifices, and my living and my dying are all for Allah Who is
the Lord of all the worlds. [Surah 6, Verse 162]
The Day Of Eid-ul-Adha
The Day of Eid ul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) is an important occasion celebrated by Muslims globally on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah to honor the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham)(peace be upon him) to sacrifice his son Ismael (Ishmael)(peace be upon him) as an act of obedience to Allah Ta’ala before Allah Ta’ala intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.
It reminds us how obedience to our Lord Allah Ta’ala is the answer to everything. This means surrendering your life, your whole being, all that you are, all that you have, and all that you identify with to and only for Allah Ta’ala.
When you sacrifice everything that you identify with to Allah Ta’ala, He gives to you your authentic and eternal self. That is the spiritual secret so many of us seek. Both Eid-ul-Adha and Hajj serve as special occasion that definitely gets one in touch with this secret.
Eid-ul-Adha is a day on which a Muslim should bring himself or herself even closer to Allah Ta’ala by means of doing good deeds such as Prayers, Qurbani(sacrifice), caring for the poor and the needy, visiting the sick people, helping those who are in need and refraining from evil practices such as harming people and severing ties of kinship.
In short, `Eid Al-Adha is a model for the Muslim community which maintains love, care, brotherhood and sisterhood, beauty, and solidarity. `Eid has significant social, educational, devotional, and spiritual messages that Muslims should grasp and translate into a complete way of life.
What Is Udhiya? (QURBANI)
“Udhiya” is an Arabic word meaning “blood sacrifice”, and “Qurbani” is an Urdu and Persian word derived from the Arabic word “Qurban” which literally means an act performed to seek Allah Ta’s pleasure. It is technically used for the sacrifice of an animal slaughtered for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.
The sacrifice of an animal has always been a recognized form of worship in many religions, but in the ‘Shariah’ (Islamic sacred law) of The Last and Final Messenger of Allah Ta’ala (Peace be upon him), the sacrifice of an animal has been recognized as a form of ibadah (worship) during the three days of the month Zul Hijjah, namely the 10th, 11th, and 12th.
This is to commemorate the unparalleled sacrifice offered by the Prophet Sayyidna Ibrahim, Alayhi Salam, when he, in pursuance to a command of Allah Ta’ala conveyed to him in a dream, prepared himself to slaughter his beloved son, Sayyidna Isma’il, Alayhi Salam, and actually intended to do so, but Allah Ta’ala the Almighty, after testing his submission, sent down a sheep and saved his son from the logical fate of slaughter. It is from this incident that the sacrifice of an animal became an obligatory duty to be performed by every Muslim who has the means to do it.
On who is obligatory?
Qurbani is Wajib (obligatory) for every Muslim who is
Of sound mind – mature (has reached the age of puberty),
Muqeem (i.e. he is not a Shari traveler)
Possesses the amount of 612,36 grams of silver or wealth equivalent to that value which is in excess of one’s basic needs and debts on any of the three days of Qurbani. It is not necessary that this amount is in one’s possession for a complete lunar year. (please consult your local Islamic Scholars for more details)
What the Qur’an and Hadith say:
Allah Ta’ala Ta’ala, The Most Wise says:
“It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, it is your piety that reaches Him. Indeed He has subjected them (animals) to you so that you may glorify Allah for guiding you, and give glad tidings to those who excel in good.” (Quran-22:37)
The Noble Messenger of Allah Ta’ala(Peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
“For every hair that is on the sacrificial animal, one reward is recorded for the person making the Qurbani.”
“There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Qiyamah with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed in reward). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart.”
“Whoever has the capacity to sacrifice and does not do so, should not come to the place where the Eid prayer is offered.“ (Hadith-Ibn Majah).
Therefore if you have the means to do Qurbani, do not ignore or delay in discharging this important part of Deen. There are many more details that relate to Qurbani which have not been covered in this brief article.
Excellence Of Eidayn And Method Of Performing The Eid Prayer
I. Hadrat Anas reported that when the Holy Prophet came to Madinah, the people had two days in which they used to entertain and amuse themselves. He asked: What are these two days? They said: We used to amuse ourselves and take pleasure in these two days during the Days of Ignorance (jahiliyyah). The Messenger of Allah said Allah has substituted for you something better than these two; the Eid of Adha (sacrifice) and the Eid of Fitr. [Sunan Abi Dawood – Book on Prayer, Vol 1, Page 162]
II. Hadrat Abu al-Huwairith reported that the Messenger of Allah wrote to Hadrat Amr ibn Hazm, when he was in Najran, asking him to observe the prayer early on the Eid of Adha (sacrifice) and late on the Eid of Fitr, and admonish the people. [Mishkaat – Book on Prayer, Vol 1, Page 127]
III. Hadrat Jabir ibn Samurah reported, I prayed with the Messenger of Allah the two Eid prayers more than once or twice, without an Adhan or Iqamah. [Sahih Muslim – Book on the two Eid Prayers, Vol 1, Page 290]
IV. Hadrat Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah did not go (to the place of prayer) in the morning on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr till he ate some dates, and he used to eat an odd number. [Sahih Bukhari – Book on the two Eid Prayers, Vol 1, Page 130]
V. Hadrat Buraidah reported that the Holy Prophet did not go out on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr till he had eaten some food; and that he did not eat any food on the day of Eid-ul-Adha (sacrifice) till he had prayed. [Sunan Tirmidhi – Book on the two Eid Prayers, Vol 1, Page 120]
VI. Hadrat Jabir reported that on the day of Eid the Holy Prophet used to return by a different route from the one he had taken when going out. [Sahih Bukhari – Book on the two Eid Prayers, Vol 1, Page 134]
Important Notes:
1. To greet, embrace and shake hands with one another, after the Eidayn prayer is an act of reward; which is also a means of increasing love and affection between Muslims and a way of expressing one’s joy and happiness.
2. It is not permissible for females to perform the Eidayn prayers, as there shall be mixing between the men and the women in the Eidgah (the place where the Eid prayer is performed). This is why it is not permissible for females to go to the Masajid to perform salaah with the congregation; whether they go in day or at night; whether for Jum’ah or for Eidayn; whether they are old or young. [This has been stated in Tanwir al-Absar and al-Durr al-Mukhtar Page 114]
Yes, however, before Zawal women can perform the 2 or 4 rak’ats Chasht (Salatud Duha) prayer at home after the Eidayn prayer has finished. [Bahar-e-Shariat Vol. 1, Chapter 4, Page 94]
3. If only the women have their own congregation for salaah, then this is also not permissible, as the congregation held by women between themselves (to perform salaah) is not allowed, in fact, it is strictly disliked (Makruh-e-Tehrimi). [This has been stated in Fatawa-e-Alamgiri Vol. 1 Page 80, also in al-Durr al-Mukhtar Page 77]