Preferable Matters About offering Sacrifice, Permissible and Non-Permissible Matters

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ أَدْنَى مَا يُجْزِئُ مِنْ أَسْنَانِ الْغَنَمِ فِي الْهَدْيِ فَقَالَ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ- قُلْتُ فَالْمَعْزُ قَالَ لَا يُجْزِئُ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ قَالَ لِأَنَّ الْجَذَعَ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ يَلْقَحُ وَ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ[2] لَا يَلْقَحُ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the minimum age required for an offering of sheep. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is al-Jadha‘ (young goat or sheep which is in the second year of its life) of sheep.’ I then asked about goat, and he (the Imam) said, ‘Young goat is not sufficient.’ I then asked why young sheep is su

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْإِبِلِ وَ الْبَقَرِ أَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ أَنْ يُضَحَّى بِهَا قَالَ ذَوَاتُ الْأَرْحَامِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَسْنَانِهَا فَقَالَ أَمَّا الْبَقَرُ فَلَا يَضُرُّكَ‌[3] بِأَيِّ أَسْنَانِهَا ضَحَّيْتَ وَ أَمَّا الْإِبِلُ فَلَا يَصْلُحُ إِلَّا الثَّنِيُّ فَمَا فَوْقُ.

‘It is the dhawat al-Arham (capable of bearing young) of cattle.’ I then asked about the age. He (the Imam) said, ‘In the case of cows age does not matter for slaughtering as offering, but camels must not be less than two years old and above.’”

أَسْنَانُ الْبَقَرِ تَبِيعُهَا وَ مُسِنُّهَا فِي الذَّبْحِ سَوَاءٌ[4].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Of cows Tabi‘ and Musin (those of two and three years of age) are the same for slaughtering as offering.’”

ضَحِّ بِكَبْشٍ أَسْوَدَ أَقْرَنَ فَحْلٍ‌[6] فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ أَسْوَدَ فَأَقْرَنُ‌ فَحْلٌ يَأْكُلُ فِي سَوَادٍ وَ يَشْرَبُ فِي سَوَادٍ وَ يَنْظُرُ فِي سَوَادٍ[1].

‘You must slaughter as offering a black ram that has horns and if you cannot find a black ram, then find one that has black eyes and mouth.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ النَّعْجَةُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَمِ الْمَاعِزُ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ الْمَاعِزُ ذَكَراً فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ وَ إِنْ كَانَ الْمَاعِزُ أُنْثَى فَالنَّعْجَةُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَالْخَصِيُّ يُضَحَّى بِهِ قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ غَيْرُهُ وَ قَالَ يَصْلُحُ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ فَأَمَّا الْمَاعِزُ فَلَا يَصْلُحُ قُلْتُ الْخَصِيُّ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَمِ النَّعْجَةُ قَا

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if an ewe is preferred by him or a goat. He (the Imam) said, ‘A he-goat but an ewe is more preferred than a she-goat.’ I then asked if a castrated one is acceptable for offering. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not acceptable unless no other offering is available.’ He (the Imam) said

إِذَا اشْتَرَى الرَّجُلُ الْبَدَنَةَ مَهْزُولَةً فَوَجَدَهَا سَمِينَةً فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَتْ عَنْهُ وَ إِنِ اشْتَرَاهَا مَهْزُولَةً فَوَجَدَهَا مَهْزُولَةً فَإِنَّهَا لَا تُجْزِئُ عَنْهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one buys a weak badanah but finds it to be a fat one it is sufficient. However, if he buys a weak one and finds it to be a lean one, it is not sufficient.”

كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ع يَكْرَهُ التَّشْرِيمَ فِي الْآذَانِ وَ الْخَرْمَ وَ لَا يَرَى بِهِ بَأْساً إِنْ كَانَ ثَقْبٌ فِي مَوْضِعِ الْوَسْمِ وَ كَانَ يَقُولُ يُجْزِئُ مِنَ الْبُدْنِ الثَّنِيُّ وَ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ الثَّنِيُّ وَ مِنَ الضَّأْنِ الْجَذَعُ‌[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), disliked cuts and holes in the ears, but he did not mind if the hole was on the mark. He (’Amir al-Mu’minin) would say that of badanah that which is two years old is acceptable, of goat that which is two years old and of sheep the young one is acceptable.’

الْكَبْشُ فِي أَرْضِكُمْ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْجَزُورِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘In your land a ram is more preferred than al-Jazur (camel).”’

إِنْ كَانَ نَقَدَ ثَمَنَهُ فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَ عَنْهُ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ نَقَدَ ثَمَنَهُ رَدَّهُ وَ اشْتَرَى غَيْرَهُ قَالَ وَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع اشْتَرِ فَحْلًا سَمِيناً لِلْمُتْعَةِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَمَوْجُوءاً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَمِنْ فُحُولَةِ الْمَعْزِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَنَعْجَةً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ قَالَ وَ يُجْزِئُ فِي الْمُتْعَةِ الْجَذَعُ مِنَ‌ الضَّأْنِ وَ لَا يُ

“This is about a man who buys an offering which is defective such as blindness, and so on. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If he has paid in cash it is sufficient for him. If he has not paid in cash he can return it and buy another.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Buy a fatty male for al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantag

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ صَدَقَةُ رَغِيفٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ نُسُكٍ مَهْزُولَةٍ.

‘Giving as charity one loaf is better than an emaciated offering.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الضَّحِيَّةِ تَكُونُ الْأُذُنُ مَشْقُوقَةً فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ شَقَّهَا وَسْماً فَلَا بَأْسَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ شَقّاً فَلَا يَصْلُحُ‌[1].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of an offering with torn ears. He (the Imam) said, ‘If the tear is a mark it is not harmful; but if it is a rip then it is not acceptable.’”

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ لَا تُضَحَّى بِالْعَرْجَاءِ بَيِّنٍ عَرَجُهَا وَ لَا بِالْعَجْفَاءِ وَ لَا بِالْجَرْبَاءِ وَ لَا بِالْخَرْقَاءِ وَ لَا بِالْحَذَّاءِ وَ لَا بِالْعَضْبَاءِ[2].

‘The Holy prophet, O Allah, grant compensation, to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “You must not sacrifice as offering what (of animal) is limping that is apparent, an emaciated, scabby, with torn ears or cut-off tail.’””

إِذَا كَانَ الْقَرْنُ الدَّاخِلُ صَحِيحاً فَهُوَ يُجْزِئُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the animal for offering which has a broken horn. He (the Imam) said, ‘If the horn inside is well, then it is sufficient.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِذَا رَمَيْتَ الْجَمْرَةَ فَاشْتَرِ هَدْيَكَ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْبُدْنِ أَوْ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَ إِلَّا فَاجْعَلْ كَبْشاً سَمِيناً فَحْلًا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَمَوْجُوءاً مِنَ الضَّأْنِ‌[3] فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَتَيْساً فَحْلًا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ عَلَيْكَ وَ عَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص ذَبَحَ عَنْ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بَقَرَةً بَ

‘When you throw pebbles, then buy your offering, if it is badanah or cow, otherwise, make it a young fatty ram, if you do not find, then do what is available for you. You must maintain greatness for the reminders of Allah, because the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of

فِي الْهَرِمِ الَّذِي وَقَعَتْ ثَنَايَاهُ أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ فِي الْأَضَاحِيِّ وَ إِنِ اشْتَرَيْتَهُ مَهْزُولًا فَوَجَدْتَهُ سَمِيناً أَجْزَأَكَ وَ إِنِ اشْتَرَيْتَ مَهْزُولًا فَوَجَدْتَهُ مَهْزُولًا فَلَا يُجْزِئُ وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى إِنَّ حَدَّ الْهُزَالِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى كُلْيَتَيْهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ مِنَ الشَّحْمِ.

“This is about a man who buys an old animal whose front teeth have fallen, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful to offer it for sacrifice. If you buy it weak and found it fatty, it is sufficient but if you bought it weak and found it lean it is not sufficient.’” NOTE: In another Hadith it is said that th

حَجَجْتُ بِأَهْلِي سَنَةً فَعَزَّتِ الْأَضَاحِيُّ فَانْطَلَقْتُ فَاشْتَرَيْتُ شَاتَيْنِ بِغَلَاءٍ فَلَمَّا أَلْقَيْتُ إِهَابَهُمَا نَدِمْتُ نَدَامَةً شَدِيدَةً لِمَا رَأَيْتُ بِهِمَا مِنَ الْهُزَالِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى كُلْيَتَيْهِمَا شَيْ‌ءٌ مِنَ الشَّحْمِ أَجْزَأَتَا.

‘If there is any fat on their kidneys, then it is sufficient.’”

سَأَلَنِي بَعْضُ الْخَوَارِجِ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ- مِنَ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَيْنِ‌ وَ مِنَ الْمَعْزِ اثْنَيْنِ قُلْ آلذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ‌[1]- وَ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ اثْنَيْنِ وَ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَيْنِ‌[2] مَا الَّذِي أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ مَا الَّذِي حَرَّمَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدِي شَيْ‌ءٌ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا حَاجٌّ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا كَانَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَز

“Certain persons of al-Khawarij asked me about this verse of al-Quran: ‘Of two sheep and of two goats, ask which one is made unlawful? (Is it) male or female? (6:142) (What is the meaning of) camels two and of cows two?’ (6:143) ‘What Allah has made lawful and what has He made unlawful?’ I did not have any answer. I we