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Fiqh-us-Sunnah - 5.110
Hadith 5.110.1
The Best Animals for Sacrifice
There is consensus among scholars that a sacrifice must be of one of the animals, and that the best of these are, camels, then cows, then sheep and so on, for a camel is more beneficial for the poor because of its great size (more can benefit from its meat), and similarly a cow is more useful than a sheep.
There is disagreement, however, as to what is best for an individual to offer in sacrifice, a camel or a cow sharing one seventh of their price, or a sheep.
Apparently the preference in this regard is to what is more useful and beneficial for the poor and the needy.
Hadith 5.110.A
The Minimum Number to Be Sacrificed
One may sacrifice any animal one chooses. The Prophet (peace be upon him) offered a hundred camels as a supererogatory sacrifice. The minimum number of animals a person is obligated to sacrifice is one sheep, or one-seventh portion of a camel or a cow (by sharing one-seventh of their price). A camel or a cow may be sacrificed on behalf of seven people. Jabir said: "We performed Hajj with the Prophet (peace be upon him), and we slaughtered a camel for seven persons, and a cow for seven persons." This was reported by Ahmad and Muslim.
For a sacrifice to be acceptable it is not necessary that all the partners should be of one mind. Thus if some do it for the pleasure of Allah, while others do it to obtain meat, it would still be valid. The Hanafi school, however, holds that a necessary condition for sacrificing is that all the partners must have the pleasure of Allah in mind while offering sacrifice.
Hadith 5.110.B
When Is It Obligatory to Sacrifice a Camel?
Sacrificing a camel is not necessary except for a pilgrim who performs tawaf in a state of ritual impurity (Junub) or a female pilgrim performs tawaf while still menstruating or in confinement after childbirth, or a pilgrim who has sexual intercourse with his wife after spending the Day at Arafah but before shaving (or clipping) the hair, or a pilgrim who vows to sacrifice a camel; in all such cases one must sacrifice a camel. And if a camel is not available then offer seven sheep instead.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and told him that he had to sacrifice a camel which he could easily afford but could not find.
Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, "Buy seven sheep and sacrifice them instead." This is reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah with a sound chain of narrators.
Hadith 5.110.C
Kinds of Sacrifice
Sacrifice may be divided into two categories, one that is desirable, and the other that is obligatory.
As for the desirable one, an example of it is that which is required of pilgrims who perform Hajj only (Hajj Ifrad), or who perform 'Umrah only. As to the obligatory sacrifice it may be one of the following: That which is obligatory for those performing Hajj Iqran (combining Hajj and 'Umrah without a break in between), or Hajj Tamattu' (combining Hajj and 'Umrah but with a break in between).
That which is obligatory for a pilgrim who misses out an essential ritual of Hajj, e.g., throwing pebbles, or putting on ihram from a miqat (a place designated for entering into a state of ihram), or combining day and night while camping at Arafah, or spending the night at Muzdalifah or Mina or departing Makkah without performing Tawaf al-Wida' (Farewell circumambulation).
That which is obligatory for a pilgrim committing something forbidden in the state of ihram, other than sexual intercourse, wearing perfume or shaving.
That which is obligatory for committing a crime within the sacred precincts of Haram, like hunting or cutting trees within the Sacred precincts of Haram. All these have been explained above in their respective sections.
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