Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil Kitāb wa Sunnat kī Roshnī meṅ by Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbānī
Is it valid to sacrifice a one-year-old goat in Qurbānī (ʿĪd sacrifice)?
In Sunan Ibn Mājah, it is narrated from ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir al-Juhanī رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave him some goats for sacrifice, which he distributed among his companions. One yearling (ʿatūd) goat remained, and he mentioned it to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Then sacrifice it.”
According to Hilāl’s narration, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“It is permissible.”
Please clarify — does this mean a one-year-old goat is generally valid for sacrifice?
One of the conditions stipulated by Sharīʿah for the animal to be sacrificed is that it must be a thaniyy — meaning, the animal must have reached the minimum age requirement (e.g., two years for goats).
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Do not slaughter except a thaniyy, unless you are in hardship, then slaughter a jadhaʿah (young sheep) from among the sheep."
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Aḍāḥī, Bāb Man Yuḍaḥḥī: 1963
Also in: Abū Dāwūd 2797, Ibn Mājah 3141, al-Nasā’ī 1390, Ibn Khuzaymah 2918, Musnad Abī Yaʿlā 2323–2324, al-Bayhaqī 9/199, Musnad Aḥmad 3/312–327
This ḥadīth clearly establishes that only a thaniyy animal should be sacrificed, unless hardship or unavailability occurs — in which case, a young sheep (jadhaʿah) is permitted.
Some argue that the sacrifice of a young sheep or goat is always valid, citing the narration from Kulaib, which states:
**“We were on a journey, and the day of ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā arrived. Every person among us began trading two or three young lambs (jadhaʿah) for one two-toothed animal (thaniyy). A man from Muzaynah said: ‘We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during a similar journey, and the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Indeed, a jadhaʿah fulfills what a thaniyy fulfills.’”
Sunan al-Nasā’ī 1388–1389, Musnad Aḥmad 5/268 (Ḥadīth 33511), al-Mustadrak 4/226
However, this ḥadīth is explained more clearly in the version preserved in:
Abū Dāwūd 2799, Ibn Mājah 3130, Ṭabarānī al-Kabīr (20/7639), al-Bayhaqī (9/270–271)
There, it is mentioned that:
“We were with a man from among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, named Mujāshiʿ, from the tribe of Banū Sulaym. When sheep became scarce, he ordered a public announcement, stating:
‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say that a jadhaʿah suffices in the same way as a thaniyy.’”
This clarifies that the permission was only in case of scarcity or hardship, and the original ruling stands — i.e., thaniyy is required.
"A jadhaʿah from sheep is better than a thaniyy from goats."
al-Mustadrak 4/227 (Ḥadīth 7504), Musnad Aḥmad 2/280 (Ḥadīth 8921)
— This contains the weak narrator Abū Thaqāl al-Marrī.
“A jadhaʿah from sheep is permissible as Qurbānī.”
Ibn Mājah 3139, Musnad Aḥmad 1/398, al-Bayhaqī 9/271
— This too is weak, due to unknown narrators like Umm Muḥammad bint Abū Yaḥyā and Umm Bilāl.
The well-known ḥadīth where the Prophet ﷺ allowed ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir to sacrifice a one-year-old goat (ʿatūd) is reported in:
Ibn Mājah 3138, al-Bukhārī 5555, Muslim 1961/56, Ibn Ḥibbān 5898, Abū ʿAwānah 5/212, Ibn Khuzaymah 3/293 (Ḥadīth 1792)
However, **this ruling was specific to ʿUqbah رضي الله عنه and not general for the entire Ummah.
al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī 9/270 (Ḥadīth 19063) states:
“Slaughter it, but I do not permit anyone else to do the same after you.”
This wording limits the permission to ʿUqbah only — much like the special concession given to Abū Burdah ibn Dīnār رضي الله عنه in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5556–5557.
Imām al-Bayhaqī رحمه الله explicitly stated:
“Only the jadhaʿah of sheep is valid (in certain cases), while the thaniyy is required for goats, cows, and camels.”
al-Sunan al-Kubrā 9/269
Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī رحمه الله wrote in Fatḥ al-Bārī:
“This ḥadīth is evidence that a jadhaʿah from goats is not sufficient, and this is the view of the majority of scholars.”
Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/15
① The general ruling remains:
② Jadhaʿah from sheep is conditionally allowed only in cases of hardship or scarcity.
③ The incident of ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir is a specific exemption, not a general rule.
④ Most ḥadīths permitting one-year-old animals are either weak, or contextually restricted.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ
✦ Question:
Is it valid to sacrifice a one-year-old goat in Qurbānī (ʿĪd sacrifice)?
In Sunan Ibn Mājah, it is narrated from ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir al-Juhanī رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave him some goats for sacrifice, which he distributed among his companions. One yearling (ʿatūd) goat remained, and he mentioned it to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Then sacrifice it.”
According to Hilāl’s narration, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“It is permissible.”
Please clarify — does this mean a one-year-old goat is generally valid for sacrifice?
✦ Answer:
One of the conditions stipulated by Sharīʿah for the animal to be sacrificed is that it must be a thaniyy — meaning, the animal must have reached the minimum age requirement (e.g., two years for goats).
❖ General Rule:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Do not slaughter except a thaniyy, unless you are in hardship, then slaughter a jadhaʿah (young sheep) from among the sheep."
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Aḍāḥī, Bāb Man Yuḍaḥḥī: 1963 Also in: Abū Dāwūd 2797, Ibn Mājah 3141, al-Nasā’ī 1390, Ibn Khuzaymah 2918, Musnad Abī Yaʿlā 2323–2324, al-Bayhaqī 9/199, Musnad Aḥmad 3/312–327This ḥadīth clearly establishes that only a thaniyy animal should be sacrificed, unless hardship or unavailability occurs — in which case, a young sheep (jadhaʿah) is permitted.
❖ Misunderstanding from Certain Narrations:
Some argue that the sacrifice of a young sheep or goat is always valid, citing the narration from Kulaib, which states:
**“We were on a journey, and the day of ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā arrived. Every person among us began trading two or three young lambs (jadhaʿah) for one two-toothed animal (thaniyy). A man from Muzaynah said: ‘We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during a similar journey, and the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Indeed, a jadhaʿah fulfills what a thaniyy fulfills.’”
Sunan al-Nasā’ī 1388–1389, Musnad Aḥmad 5/268 (Ḥadīth 33511), al-Mustadrak 4/226However, this ḥadīth is explained more clearly in the version preserved in:
Abū Dāwūd 2799, Ibn Mājah 3130, Ṭabarānī al-Kabīr (20/7639), al-Bayhaqī (9/270–271)There, it is mentioned that:
“We were with a man from among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, named Mujāshiʿ, from the tribe of Banū Sulaym. When sheep became scarce, he ordered a public announcement, stating:
‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say that a jadhaʿah suffices in the same way as a thaniyy.’”
This clarifies that the permission was only in case of scarcity or hardship, and the original ruling stands — i.e., thaniyy is required.
❖ Weak Narrations in Favor of Yearling Goat:
- Some narrations mention that the jadhaʿah from sheep is the best sacrifice (e.g., Musnad Aḥmad 4/445, Ḥadīth 16937; al-Tirmidhī 1499), but these contain weak narrators like ʿAdī ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī and unknown figures like Abū Kabsh.
- Another narration states:
"A jadhaʿah from sheep is better than a thaniyy from goats."
al-Mustadrak 4/227 (Ḥadīth 7504), Musnad Aḥmad 2/280 (Ḥadīth 8921)— This contains the weak narrator Abū Thaqāl al-Marrī.
- A report attributed to Hilāl:
“A jadhaʿah from sheep is permissible as Qurbānī.”
Ibn Mājah 3139, Musnad Aḥmad 1/398, al-Bayhaqī 9/271— This too is weak, due to unknown narrators like Umm Muḥammad bint Abū Yaḥyā and Umm Bilāl.
❖ Clarifying the Ḥadīth of ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir رضي الله عنه:
The well-known ḥadīth where the Prophet ﷺ allowed ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir to sacrifice a one-year-old goat (ʿatūd) is reported in:
Ibn Mājah 3138, al-Bukhārī 5555, Muslim 1961/56, Ibn Ḥibbān 5898, Abū ʿAwānah 5/212, Ibn Khuzaymah 3/293 (Ḥadīth 1792)However, **this ruling was specific to ʿUqbah رضي الله عنه and not general for the entire Ummah.
al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī 9/270 (Ḥadīth 19063) states:“Slaughter it, but I do not permit anyone else to do the same after you.”
This wording limits the permission to ʿUqbah only — much like the special concession given to Abū Burdah ibn Dīnār رضي الله عنه in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5556–5557.
❖ Position of the Scholars:
Imām al-Bayhaqī رحمه الله explicitly stated:
“Only the jadhaʿah of sheep is valid (in certain cases), while the thaniyy is required for goats, cows, and camels.”
al-Sunan al-Kubrā 9/269Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī رحمه الله wrote in Fatḥ al-Bārī:
“This ḥadīth is evidence that a jadhaʿah from goats is not sufficient, and this is the view of the majority of scholars.”
Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/15
Conclusion:
① The general ruling remains:
- Goats must be thaniyy (i.e., at least two years old).
- One-year-old goats (ʿatūd) are not valid for Qurbānī under normal circumstances.
② Jadhaʿah from sheep is conditionally allowed only in cases of hardship or scarcity.
③ The incident of ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir is a specific exemption, not a general rule.
④ Most ḥadīths permitting one-year-old animals are either weak, or contextually restricted.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ
