ONE HADITH A DAY

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sacrificed two black and white horned rams, which he slaughtered with his hand, as he mentioned Allah's name and said: "Allāhu Akbar" (Allah is the Most Great), and put his foot on their necks

Agreed upon · Authentic

عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهُ قَالَ: ضَحَّى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِكَبْشَيْنِ أَمْلَحَيْنِ أَقْرَنَيْنِ، ذَبَحَهُمَا بِيَدِهِ، وَسَمَّى وَكَبَّرَ، وَوَضَعَ رِجْلَهُ عَلَى صِفَاحِهِمَا.

“Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sacrificed two black and white horned rams, which he slaughtered with his hand, as he mentioned Allah's name and said: "Allāhu Akbar" (Allah is the Most Great), and put his foot on their necks.”

Explanation

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) slaughtered, with his hand on the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, two male sheep with white horns mixed with black, and said: Bismillāh (in the name of Allah) and Allāhu Akbar; and he placed his foot on their necks.

Benefits

• ’Ud'hiyah (animal sacrifice) is prescribed in the Shariah, something Muslims unanimously agree upon.
• It is preferable that ’Ud'hiyah be of the same type with which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered ’Ud'hiyah, given its good appearance and more tasty fat and meat.
• An-Nawawi said: It is recommended that a person slaughter his ’Ud'hiyah by himself and not delegate someone else to slaughter it unless there is an excuse for that, in which case it is recommended that he witness its slaughter. However, it is indisputably permissible for him to delegate a Muslim to do so.
• Ibn Hajar said: It indicates that it is recommended to say Takbīr along with mention of Allah's name while slaughtering, and it is recommended to place one’s foot on the right side of the neck of the sacrificial animal. They agreed that it should be laid down on its left side, so that he places his foot on the right side to make it easier for the slaughterer to take the knife with his right hand and hold its head with his left hand.
• It is recommended to sacrifice a horned animal, though it is permissible to sacrifice an unhorned one.

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