For How Many People One Camel or Cow Is an Enough Offering

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَذْبَحُ يَوْمَ الْأَضْحَى كَبْشَيْنِ أَحَدَهُمَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَ الْآخَرَ عَمَّنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ وَ كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع يَذْبَحُ كَبْشَيْنِ أَحَدَهُمَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ الْآخَرَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ.

“The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, slaughtered two sheep on the day of al-Adha’, one for himself and one for those of his followers who could not afford them. ’Amir al-Mu’minin slaughtered two sheep, one for the Messenger of Allah and

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع عَنْ قَوْمٍ غَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَضَاحِيُّ وَ هُمْ مُتَمَتِّعُونَ وَ هُمْ مُتَرَافِقُونَ وَ لَيْسُوا بِأَهْلِ بَيْتٍ وَاحِدٍ وَ قَدِ اجْتَمَعُوا فِي مَسِيرِهِمْ وَ مِضْرَبُهُمْ وَاحِدٌ أَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً فَقَالَ لَا أُحِبُّ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا مِنْ ضَرُورَةٍ[1].

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of a people for whom offering animals become very expensive, who are for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous), in one company but not of the same family. They have come together; their way and camp is one, if they can slaughter one cow. He (the Imam) said, ‘I do not like it unless

كُنَّا جَمَاعَةً بِمِنًى فَعَزَّتِ الْأَضَاحِيُّ فَنَظَرْنَا فَإِذَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَاقِفٌ عَلَى قَطِيعٍ يُسَاوِمُ بِغَنَمٍ وَ يُمَاكِسُهُمْ مِكَاساً شَدِيداً[2] فَوَقَفْنَا نَنْتَظِرُ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ أَظُنُّكُمْ قَدْ تَعَجَّبْتُمْ مِنْ مِكَاسِي فَقُلْنَا نَعَمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْمَغْبُونَ لَا مَحْمُودٌ وَ لَا مَأْجُورٌ أَ لَكُمْ حَاجَةٌ فَقُلْنَا نَعَمْ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ الْ

“Once we were in Mina’ and offering became very expensive. We saw abu ’Abdillah (a.s.), standing near a bunch of cattle, bargaining stringently. We stopped and looked. When he (AS) completed his task, he came to us and said, ‘I think you found my stringent bargaining strange.’ We replied, ‘Yes, it was so.’ He (AS) said

عَزَّتِ الْبُدْنُ سَنَةً بِمِنًى حَتَّى بَلَغَتِ الْبَدَنَةُ مِائَةَ دِينَارٍ فَسُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ‌ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ اشْتَرِكُوا فِيهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ كَمْ قَالَ مَا خَفَّ هُوَ أَفْضَلُ قُلْتُ عَنْ كَمْ تُجْزِئُ قَالَ عَنْ سَبْعِينَ‌[1].

“One year badanah became very expensive in Mina’, so much so that one badanah sold for one hundred dinar. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), was asked about it and he (the Imam) said to share it. I asked, ‘For how many people it is sufficient?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The lighter the better.’ I asked, ‘For how many?’ He (the Imam) said,

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مُتَمَتِّعٌ لَمْ يَجِدْ هَدْياً فَقَالَ أَ مَا كَانَ مَعَهُ دِرْهَمٌ يَأْتِي بِهِ قَوْمَهُ فَيَقُولَ أَشْرِكُونِي بِهَذَا الدِّرْهَمِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) and cannot find an offering. He (the Imam) said, ‘Does he not have any dirham to ask his people to allow him to share with them?”’ (Fatwa best explains Hadith 2-5 of this Chapter)