Understanding the Rites of ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha -I

During the first ten days ofThul Hijjah, the IslamicUmmahlives through
great days and virtuous nights that are full of the remembrance of
Allaah The Almighty and praising Him.
Pilgrims go to Makkah individually and in groups from all over the
world by air, sea and land. They represent a great scene of servitude
to Allaah The Almighty as pilgrims ask for the Mercy and Forgiveness
of Allaah The Almighty, remember and invoke Him while admitting their
humiliation, inability, poverty and need of Him. They attribute all
meanings of power, dignity, wealth and exaltation to Allaah Alone.
"Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, La ilaaha illallaah, Allaahu Akbar,
Allaahu Akbar wa lillaahil-hamd."
The day of'Eed Al-Adh-hais a great day, in fact, the best day of the
year when all Muslims share happiness and pleasure; remember Allaah
and glorify Him, then pray and slaughter their sacrifice in order to
thank Allaah The Almighty for His blessings.
'Eedis a time of joy and happiness and we, as Muslims, feel happy when
we complete the acts of obedience and gain the Reward and Forgiveness
of Allaah. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Say, "In the Bounty
of Allaah and in His Mercy - in that let them rejoice; it is better
than what they accumulate."{]Quran 10:58[
Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid,"The day of Nahr )the 10th day of Thul-Hijjah( is
the Day of 'Eed and it is the day of the greater Hajj and the day
Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger declared their dissociation from
every polytheist."The Prophet, said:"The best day in the sight of
Allaah is the Day of Nahr and the day of staying at Mina )the eleventh
of Thul-Hijjah(."
During these blessed days it is permissible for you to perform
generalTakbeerat any time from the beginning ofThul-Hijjahuntil the
end of the Days ofTashreeq. RestrictedTakbeershould be recited after
the obligatory prayers; from theFajrPrayer on the Day of 'Arafah up
till the 'AsrPrayer of the last day ofTashreeq. Hence, try to
participate in reviving thisSunnahthat has been abandoned these days
and most people have forgotten it, even the righteous ones, and this
contradicts the deeds of our righteous predecessors.
You should know that thanking Allaah The Almighty for His blessings is
achieved through obeying Him, not by committing sins, so use your time
in performing acts of obedience such as remembering Allaah,
maintaining kinship ties, forgiving those who treat you badly,
avoiding sins whether in the way that you are dressed or by listening
to music and the like. It is through thanking Allaah that blessings
are maintained.
Be keen to attend the 'EedPrayer and listen to theKhutbahwithout
exposing your beauty and do not eat until you return home and eat from
your sacrifice.
You should know that it is prohibited to fast on the Day of 'Eedand
that there is no specific prayer or Quranic recitation recommended for
the night before'Eed.
It is favorable to provide more food, drinks and clothing for one's
family without extravagance.
The 'Eedsacrifice is one of the rites of Islam and it is a great act
of worship that Allaah The Almighty mentioned along with the prayer.
TheSunnah)tradition( of the Prophet,, clarified its virtue and showed
that the Prophet,, performed it regularly.
The 'Eedsacrifice is an animal that is slaughtered on the days of 'Eed
Al-Adh-hato gain the pleasure of Allaah The Almighty.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
·}So pray to your Lord and sacrifice ]to Him Alone[.{]Quran 108:2[
·}Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my
dying are for Allaah, Lord of the Worlds. No partner Has He. And this
I have been commanded, and I am the first ]among you[ of the
Muslims."{]Quran 6:162,163[
·}And for all religion We Have Appointed a rite ]of sacrifice[ that
they may mention the Name of Allaah over what He Has Provided for them
of ]sacrificial[ animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit.
And, ]O Muhammad[, give good tidings to the humble ]before their
Lord[{]Quran 22:34[
It was narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Maalikthat he said,"The
Prophetslaughtered )sacrificed( two horned rams, black and white in
color, and he slaughtered them with his own hands, mentioned the Name
of Allaah )saying Bismillaah(, said Takbeer )Allaahu-Akbar(, and
placed his foot on their sides )while slaughtering them(."]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[
Ibn 'Umarsaid,"The Prophetstayed in Madeenah for ten years during
which he used to slaughter a sacrifice every year."Slaughtering a
sacrifice is a confirmed act of theSunnahand it is unfavorable to
abandon it if the person can afford it.
Slaughtering a sacrifice is better than giving its price in charity.
Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid,"Slaughtering is better than giving the price of the
animal in charity even if the money was more than the price of the
sacrificial animal because the purpose of this is slaughtering the
animal and shedding its blood. If slaughtering was replaced by giving
money in charity, a great rite would have been deserted."
The original ruling for the 'Eedsacrifice is that it is slaughtered
for those who are alive as what the Prophet,, and his Companionsused
to do. This is in contrast to what some common people think, as they
think that sacrifice is for the dead people only.

Understanding the Rites of ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha - II

Sacrifice on behalf of the dead is of three types:
The first type is when the sacrifice is slaughtered on behalf of
people who are alive. For instance, a man might slaughter a sacrifice
for himself and his family including the dead among them, as the
Prophet,, used to slaughter a sacrifice and say that it is for
Muhammad and the family of Muhammad )including those who are dead(.
The second type is to slaughter a sacrifice for the dead. For
instance, one might donate a sacrifice on behalf of a dead Muslim
person. Jurists of the Hanbali School said that the deceased receives
the reward of such a sacrifice and benefits from it just like giving
charity on behalf of the dead. Some scholars said that the sacrifice
should only be slaughtered on behalf of the dead if he previously
entrusted his family to do so. However, it is wrong to slaughter a
sacrifice for the dead as a kind of donation or by virtue of the
deceased's will without slaughtering a sacrifice for themselves and
the rest of the family who are alive. By so doing, they abandon
theSunnahand are deprived of the reward of the'Eedsacrifice. This is
done out of ignorance as people do not know that theSunnahis to
slaughter a sacrifice for oneself and his family and that this will
include the dead and those who are alive, as the grace of Allaah is
all-Encompassing.
The third type is to slaughter a sacrifice on behalf of a dead person
by virtue of a bequest that he made. This should be executed just as
he said without any increase or decrease.
The time of the 'Eedsacrifice starts after the'EedPrayer as the
Prophet,, said:"Whoever slaughters after the prayer will have
completed the rites and followed the Sunnah of the Muslims."The time
of'Eedsacrifice ends at sunset of the last day ofTashreeq)the
thirteenth ofThul-Hijjah(.Slaughtering is permissible during four
days; the'EedDay which is the tenth ofThul-Hijjahand the three Days
ofTashreeqwhich are the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth
ofThul-Hijjah. Slaughtering is permissible during the day or night
)slaughtering at night would be on the eve of the eleventh, twelfth
and thirteenth ofThul-Hijjah(.
If someone slaughters his sacrifice before the 'EedPrayer, this does
not suffice for the'Eedsacrifice and he should slaughter another one.
It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah,, looked at sheep that
were slaughtered before the'EedPrayer and said:"Anyone who slaughtered
before the prayer should slaughter another sheep and those who did not
slaughter yet should slaughter in the Name of Allaah."
The 'Eedsacrifice is an act of obedience that is done with the
intention of drawing closer to Allaah The Almighty so, it should be
done according to what satisfies Him and this should fulfill two
conditions:
The first is to have a sincere intention without ostentation, seeking
fame and prestige or any of the gains of the worldly life or the
satisfaction of any creature.
The second one is to follow theSunnahof the Prophet,as he
said:"Whoever does something that does not belong to our matter
)religion( it will be rejected."
For the'Eedsacrifice to be in compliance with the orders of the
Messenger of Allaah,, it should meet certain conditions. The
conditions of its time were pointed out above. The following are the
four conditions that pertain to the sacrifice itself:
1.It should be owned by the person who sacrifices it as one cannot
makeUdh-hiyyahwith something that he does not own.
2.It should be livestock, namely camels, cows, sheep or goats.
3.It should have attained the age determined bySharee'ah)Islamic
legislation(: about six months for a sheep, one year for a goat, two
years for a cow, and five years for a camel.
4.It should be free of defects; the one-eyed whose defect is obvious,
the sick whose sickness is clear, the lame animal whose limping is
apparent, and the weak that has no marrow are not sufficient
forUdh-hiyah.

Understanding the Rites of ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha - III

If a person bought a sheep and it fell and broke its foot without
negligence on his part, it is permissible to slaughter it and it will
be sufficient for him. However, if it was broken as a result of
something that he did such as tying it too tightly or out of
negligence, he must replace it with a similar one.
What should be done with Udh-hiyah?
You have the right to eat from yourUdh-hiyah, and give some of the
meat to your relatives and neighbors and the poor people. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:}So eat of them and feed the miserable and
poor.{]Quran 22:28[
The Prophet,, said:"Eat and save, and give in charity."In another
narration he said:"Eat, feed and save."]Al-Bukhaari[ The exact amount
of each part was not specified in the verse or in theHadeeth. Thus, it
is favorable to divide the slaughtered sacrifice into three parts; he
may eat one third, give one third as charity and give one third as a
present. This is recommended and not obligatory. It is prohibited to
sell any part of the slaughtered animal such as the meat, fat, skin
and so forth because this money is given as charity so, it is
impermissible to sell any of it. It is also impermissible to give the
butcher any part of the sacrifice for his fees but it is permissible
to give him something as a present or as charity.
If you want to practice thisSunnahyou should do what Umm
Salamahmentioned as she narrated that the Prophet,, said:"When you see
the new moon of Thul-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a
sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he
offers his sacrifice."According to another narration the Prophet,,
said:"He should not remove anything from his hair or skin."
ThisHadeethindicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice
should not cut any of his hair or nails from the beginning
ofThul-Hijjahuntil he slaughters his sacrifice. If the days
ofThul-Hijjahstarted and someone intended during these days to offer a
sacrifice, he should stop cutting his hair and nails from the moment
he intended to offer a sacrifice and there is no harm regarding what
he had cut before intending to offer a sacrifice.
Some people might think that if someone who intends to offer a
sacrifice and cut some of his hair or nails, his sacrifice will not be
accepted, but this is a mistake as there is no relation between the
acceptance of the sacrifice and cutting some of the hair or nails.
However, the one who cuts some of his hair or nails disobeys the
orders of the Prophet,, and he should ask for the forgiveness of
Allaah The Almighty, but this cutting does not affect the acceptance
of his sacrifice.
If someone needed to cut some of his hair or nails because of being
wounded or because his nail was broken and he needs to cut it or cut
part of his skin that harms him, it is alright to do so. It should be
noted that this ruling includes the one who wanted to slaughter a
sacrifice for himself or on behalf of another person, but the one who
was assigned as a proxy by another person by virtue of authorization
or a will is not included in this ruling.
The people on whose behalf the sacrifice is slaughtered are not
required to refrain from cutting their hair or nails. The proof of
this is that the Prophet,, used to offer a sacrifice on behalf of his
family )the family of Muhammad( and it was not narrated that he used
to forbid them from cutting their hair or nails.
Fulfill this great rite and do not be among those who are deprived;
who spend a lot and slaughter sacrifices all the year, but who become
lazy when the time of'Eedcomes. Be keen on doing good and righteous
deeds such as maintaining kinship ties, visiting relatives, abandoning
hatred, envy and grudges as well as purifying your heart, being kind
to the poor, the needy and the orphans by helping them and making them
happy.

Eid Mubarak, have a blessed and happy Eid!

Eid Mubarak to all ourfaithful readers, first time visitors, brothers
and sisters, and friends!
~
I thank Allah that I am alive to see another sunrise, to see my
daughter laugh and learn,to enjoy all the blessings that Allah has
given me, and to have another day to ask Allah's forgiveness, pray,
work, and think. Another day to strive to be a better Muslim, a better
father, and a betterhuman being.
We Muslims are people of patience and truth, and if we adhere to that
path then Allah will never abandon us, rather He willguide us, ease
our hearts, and open opportunities for us.
On this day of celebration,may Allah ease the hearts of all who are
suffering, replace pain with comfort and joy, sickness with health,
oppression with liberation, tyranny with freedom, and fill our hearts
with the hope and tawakkul (trust in Allah) that is sorely needed by
our Ummah.