Sheikh Saleh Al Uthaimeen رحمه الله
There are six conditions that a
sacrificial offering (udhiyyah) must meet:
The First Condition: The sacrificial offering must be an animal
from among cattle, which include camels and cows, or smaller livestock such as
sheep and goats. This is based on Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى’s statement:
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا
لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ
فَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ
“And for
every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies that they may mention the
Name of Allaah over the beasts of cattle that He has given them for food.”
[Surah Al-Hajj 22:34]
The term “beasts of cattle”
refers to camels, cows, sheep and goats. This definition is well known amongst
the Arabs as stated by Al-Hasan, Qataadah, and others.
The Second Condition: It must have reached the required
age that is in accordance with the religious standards such as six-months for
sheep and one-year and up for everything else. The Prophet صلّى
اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:
“Do not slaughter any animal except for one that is
mature in age unless that is difficult for you, in which case you may slaughter
a premature one from among sheep.”
[Reported by Muslim] [1]
“Mature in age” is the age
at which an animal is considered fully developed as well as any age beyond
that, while “premature” is the age before that. With respect to a camel,
a mature-aged one is one that has completed five years. With respect to a cow,
a mature-aged one is one that has completed two years. A mature-aged sheep is
that which is one-year old while a premature sheep is one that has competed
half a year (up to one year).