The Best Sacrifice: Fat Animals, Sheep as Jadh‘, and Goat as Thaniyah
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
❀ The Best Sacrificial Animal is the Healthy and Fat One
The most virtuous sacrifice is the animal that is fat and healthy. As for age:
- In sheep, a jadh‘ (one-year-old, not yet thaniyah) may suffice.
- In goats, less than a thaniyah (two-tooth) does not suffice.
① Narration of Abu Rafi‘ (RA):
“أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا ضحى اشترى كبشين سمينين“
“When the Prophet ﷺ intended to sacrifice, he would buy two fat, healthy rams.”
[Majma‘ al-Zawa’id: 4/21–22; al-Fath al-Rabbani: 61/13]
② Narration of Ummamah bin Sahl (RA):
“كنا نسمن الأضحية بالمدينة و كان المسلمون يسمنون“
“We used to fatten the sacrificial animals in Madinah, and the Muslims used to fatten their sacrificial animals.”
[Bukhari: 5553, Kitab al-Adahi]
These narrations do not explicitly state that fat animals are superior over others, but since more meat benefits the poor, fat animals are indeed better.
❀ Order of Preference
- The majority (jumhur) hold that the best sacrifice is:
① Camel → ② Cow → ③ Sheep → ④ Goat
Because the greater the benefit for the poor, the greater the reward.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 3/477]
Ibn Qudāmah (رحمه الله):
“Fattening and selecting the best animal is Sunnah, as Allah said: (That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts) [Al-Hajj: 32]. Honoring includes choosing a fat, fine animal, and showing respect, which brings greater reward and benefit.”
[Al-Mughni: 13/367]
❀ Age Requirement of Sacrificial Animals
① Hadith of Jabir (RA):
“لا تذبحوا إلا مسنة إلا أن يعسر عليكم فتذبحوا جذعة من الضان“
“Do not slaughter except a thaniyah (two-tooth), unless it is difficult for you, then you may slaughter a jadh‘ (one-year-old) from the sheep.”
[Muslim: 1963; Ahmad: 3/312; Abu Dawood: 2797; Nasa’i: 9/269; Ibn Jarood: 904]
- Musinnah (thaniyah): An animal that has lost its baby teeth.
- Nawawi (رحمه الله): Musinnah refers to thaniyah from camels, cows, and goats. Sheep are the only exception where jadh‘ is valid.
[Sharh Muslim: 13/99]
② Hadith of Abu Hurairah (RA):
“نعمت الأضحية الجذع من الضان“
“The best sacrifice is a jadh‘ from the sheep.”
[Da‘if: Da‘if Tirmidhi: 258; Tirmidhi: 1499; Ahmad: 2/444]
③ Hadith of al-Bara’ bin ‘Azib (RA):
“ضحي خال لي يقال له أبو بردة قبل الصلاة فقال له رسول الله: شاتك شاة لحم فقال يا رسول الله إن عندى داجنا جذعة من المعز قال: اذبحها ولن تصلح لغيرك“
“My maternal uncle Abu Burdah sacrificed before the prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Your goat is only meat (not sacrifice).’ He replied: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have a young goat less than a year old.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Slaughter it, but it will not suffice for anyone else after you.’”
[Bukhari: 5556; Muslim: 1961; Tirmidhi: 1508; Nasa’i: 7/222; Ahmad: 4/297; Bayhaqi: 9/269]
Shawkani (رحمه الله): This Hadith proves that a goat’s jadh‘ (less than two-tooth) is not sufficient.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 3/476]
Nawawi (رحمه الله): Consensus exists on this ruling.
[Sharh Muslim: 7/129]
❀ Conclusion
- The best sacrifice is the fattest and healthiest animal.
- Order of preference: Camel → Cow → Sheep → Goat.
- Age requirement:
- Camel: 5 years (thaniyah)
- Cow: 2 years (thaniyah)
- Goat: 1 year (thaniyah)
- Sheep: Exception → one year (jadh‘) suffices if a thaniyah is not available.
