Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … "Musinnah" or "Thaniyy" refers to that animal whose front milk teeth have fallen out and in their place new teeth have emerged. In Urdu, this is called "do danta" and in Punjabi "donda." Some individuals have interpreted "musinnah" to mean "one year old," whereas this meaning is neither correct linguistically nor according to common usage. This is because "musinnah" is derived from "sinn," which means "tooth," not from "sanah," which means "year." Even customarily, a goat does not become "do danta" (two-toothed) at one year; it usually happens later. Rarely, it may occur at one year, but generally, it does not. The real objective is the falling of the tooth, not the age, because there is no fixed age for the falling of the tooth. Furthermore, determining the age is very difficult, because when an animal is sold through four, five, or more hands, where is the age mentioned in the transaction? In fact, it seems impossible for traders to pay attention to this matter. Secondly, there can be disagreement in this, and the seller can also lie. However, the falling of the tooth and the emergence of a new tooth in its place is a clear and definite sign in which deception is not possible. Therefore, the correct and preferred opinion is that the sacrificial animal should be "do danta" (two-toothed), whether it is a goat, sheep, cow, or camel, and all these animals become "donda" (two-toothed) at different ages.