By: Imran Ayoob Lahori
Hazrat Jābir (رضي الله عنه) reported:
أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن تشترك فى الإبل والبقر كل سبعة منا فى بدنة
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us that we share in camels and cows, with each seven of us sharing in one camel.”
References: [Muslim: 1318, Kitab al-Hajj: Bab al-Ishtirāk fi’l-Hady; Muwatta: 2/486; Ahmad: 3/353; Abu Dawood: 2809; Tirmidhi: 1502; Ibn Majah: 3132; Bayhaqi: 9/294]
Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) reported:
“We were with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey when Eid al-Adha came.
فذبحنا بقرة عن سبعة والبعير عن عشرة
‘We slaughtered a cow on behalf of seven people and a camel on behalf of ten people.’”
References: [Sahih: Sahih Ibn Majah: 2536, Kitab al-Adhahi: Bab liman lam tujzi’ al-Badnah wal-Baqarah; Ahmad: 1/275; Ibn Majah: 3131; Tirmidhi: 905; Nasai: 7/222; Ibn Khuzaymah: 2908; Mishkat al-Albani: 1469]
There is no contradiction between these narrations:
1 – Hadith of Jābir (رضي الله عنه)
Hazrat Jābir (رضي الله عنه) reported:
أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن تشترك فى الإبل والبقر كل سبعة منا فى بدنة
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us that we share in camels and cows, with each seven of us sharing in one camel.”
References: [Muslim: 1318, Kitab al-Hajj: Bab al-Ishtirāk fi’l-Hady; Muwatta: 2/486; Ahmad: 3/353; Abu Dawood: 2809; Tirmidhi: 1502; Ibn Majah: 3132; Bayhaqi: 9/294]
2 – Hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما)
Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) reported:
“We were with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey when Eid al-Adha came.
فذبحنا بقرة عن سبعة والبعير عن عشرة
‘We slaughtered a cow on behalf of seven people and a camel on behalf of ten people.’”
References: [Sahih: Sahih Ibn Majah: 2536, Kitab al-Adhahi: Bab liman lam tujzi’ al-Badnah wal-Baqarah; Ahmad: 1/275; Ibn Majah: 3131; Tirmidhi: 905; Nasai: 7/222; Ibn Khuzaymah: 2908; Mishkat al-Albani: 1469]
Reconciling the Two Hadiths
There is no contradiction between these narrations:
- A camel suffices for seven people when it is sacrificed as hady during Hajj or ‘Umrah.
- A camel may suffice for up to ten people when it is sacrificed for Eid al-Adha outside the rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah — as clarified in the second hadith.
