#1134: On The Choice Of Animals Best To Slaughter As The Ud’hiya
Assalamualeikum. May Almighty Allah reward you abundantly for this great work. (Aameen)
My question is this. Between Ram, cow and sheep which one has a greater reward or recomended for (udhiya) pls if is (Ram) as most of us believe; pls assist me with the Hadith that back it up please.
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salam Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuh.
Alhamdulillah. May Allah illumine my heart and yours and grant us Tawfiq and Sadaad in all we do, amin.
As for the best of animals to slaughter as the Ud’hiya, then know that the position upon which the generality of the Fuqahaa of the Cities past and present throughout our entire history are is that it is the Camel, then the Cow and then the Ram. The reason for this is the Hadith that was recorded by both Imam Al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam said:
مَنْ راح في الساعة الأولى فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ بَدَنَةً ، وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ بَقَرَةً ، وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ كَبْشًا أَقْرَنَ ، وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ دَجَاجَةً ، وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الْخَامِسَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ بَيْضَةً
“Whoever goes out (for Friday prayer)in the first hour is treated like one who offers a camel as sacrifice; he who goes out in the second instance as one who offers a cow; he who goes out in the third instance is treated as one who offers horned cow ; he who goes out in the fourth instance is treated as one who offers hen ; he who goes out in the fifth instance is treated as one who offers an egg”
They also mentioned that the Sacrifice of Hajj is the Camel primarily as Allah referred in the Qur’an. Imam Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi mentioned this in his Book Al-Mughni.
The Imam who disagrees with this is Maalik alayhi rahmatullah, for he held that the ram is better due to the fact that the Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam Slaughtered ram. He argued that if the ram was not the best of them all then the Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam would not have Slaughtered it instead.
Imam Khalil mentioned in his Mukhtasar while discussing the order of preference:
“First is sheep generally, then goat, then cow – which is more preponderant – or camel, there is difference of opinion on that”.
It is mentioned that Shaykh Abdulaziz bn Abdillah bn Baaz rahimahullah inclined toward Maalik’s position in his Fataawah based on the same position.
But what is stronger, and Allah knows best is the position of the majority, Abu Hanifah, Ash-Shaafi’i and Ahmad held this position. And they responded to the observation of Maalik by saying that the Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam only did that which was easier for the entire Ummah to implement.
And Allah knows best.
Therefore, the order of preference is as follows:
1. A camel, only you
2. A cow, only you
3. A Sheep, only you
4. A camel, you and others, not exceeding seven of you
5. A cow, you and others, not exceeding seven of you
Some of the Shaafi’is have preferred multiple people less than seven on Camels and Cows over single person on Sheep since the fewness of the People on Camel and Sheep meant more meat and more ability to make Sadaqah with it.
Know also, that as a principle, the male is preferred over the female of all kinds thus the male sheep (ram) is better than the female.
And Allah knows best.
Barakallahu Fikum
Jazakumullahu Khayran
Abū Āsim
23rd Dhu Al-Qa’adah, 1442AH.
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