❖ The Issue:
What if a person buys a healthy animal for Qurbani (sacrifice), and after purchase the animal becomes defective—such as breaking a leg or becoming one-eyed? Should they sacrifice the same animal, or is it necessary to purchase a new one?❖ Shari'ah Ruling on Defective Animals for Qurbani
The Prophet ﷺ said:“There are four animals that are not permissible for sacrifice: the one-eyed whose defect is obvious, the sick whose sickness is evident, the lame whose limp is noticeable, and the emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones.”
[Sunan Abū Dāwūd: 2802 – Sahih, also authenticated by al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Ḥibbān, al-Ḥākim]
This applies at the time of purchase.
❖ What If the Defect Occurs
Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنه said:“If the defect occurs after you have purchased the animal, then proceed with the sacrifice. If the defect was present before purchase, then replace it.”
[Al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī 9/289 – Sahih]
Imām al-Zuhrī رحمه الله, a major Tabi‘ī, said:
“If a man buys a sacrificial animal and it becomes sick while with him, then it is still valid for sacrifice.”
[Musannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq 4/386 – Sahih]
Conclusion:If a healthy animal is bought and a defect occurs later, it is still valid for sacrifice.
❖ Do Ahl-e-Hadith Accept Ijmāʿ and Ijtihād?
Yes, Ahl-e-Hadith recognize both Ijmāʿ (consensus) and Ijtihād (independent reasoning) as legitimate and binding, if based on the Qur’an and Sunnah.❖ Evidence for the Validity of Ijmāʿ:
① The Prophet ﷺ said:“Allah will never gather my Ummah upon misguidance, and the Hand of Allah is over the Jama‘ah (consensus).”
[Mustadrak al-Ḥākim: 299 – Sahih]
② ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه wrote to Qāḍī Shurayḥ:
“If you don’t find a matter in the Qur’an or Sunnah, then look at what the people have agreed upon and follow it.”
[Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 7/240 – Sahih]
③ Ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه said:
“What the Muslims deem good, Allah also deems good. What they deem evil, Allah also deems evil.”
[Mustadrak al-Ḥākim 3/78 – Hasan]
④ Abū Masʿūd al-Anṣārī رضي الله عنه advised:
“Adhere to the community, for Allah will not unite Muhammad’s Ummah upon error.”
[Al-Naqīyah by al-Khaṭīb 1/197 – Sahih]
❖ Scholarly Endorsements of Ijmāʿ
- Imām al-Shāfiʿī devoted an entire section in his al-Risālah (p. 471–476) proving Ijmāʿ as a legal proof.
- Ibn Ḥazm said:
“The consensus of the Muslim scholars is a binding proof and a definitive truth in Allah’s religion.” - Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām (teacher of al-Bukhārī) also accepted Ijmāʿ as a proof.
❖ Ahl-e-Hadith & Ijtihād
Ahl-e-Hadith scholars approve of Ijtihād when:- There's no direct text from Qur’an, Sunnah, or Ijmāʿ.
- It's used for temporary practical rulings, not fixed laws.
“Let no one perform ʿAṣr prayer except at Banū Qurayẓah.”
Some companions prayed on the way (interpreting it as urgency), others after reaching the location.
The Prophet ﷺ approved both views.
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1946 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1770]
Conclusion:Ijtihād is acceptable where clear evidence is not available, and differing views are accommodated.
❖ Critique of Some Blind Followers (Taqlīd)
Some scholars of rigid madhhabs claim:- “Only the sayings of our Imām are proofs for us.”
- “Qur’an and Hadith are interpreted only through the Imām.”
Such restrictive views conflict with the inclusive and evidence-based methodology of Ahl-e-Hadith, who prioritize Qur’an and authentic Sunnah and accept Ijmāʿ and Ijtihād under those boundaries.
Summary:
- If a sacrificial animal becomes defective after purchase, it can still be sacrificed.
- Ahl-e-Hadith recognize Ijmāʿ and Ijtihād as valid tools of Islamic jurisprudence.
- Ijmāʿ is validated by authentic Hadith and practices of the Sahabah.
- Ijtihād is permissible in the absence of clear textual evidence.
- Restricting proofs only to one Imām’s opinion is unwarranted and rejected by the Salaf.
