❀ One Goat Is Sufficient for the Entire Household in Sacrifice
✿ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
✦ Minimum Requirement: One Goat in Sacrifice
Ata bin Sayyar (رحمه الله) asked Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (رضي الله عنه) how sacrifices were performed during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He responded:
كان الرجل فى عهد النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يضحي بالشاة عنه وعن أهل بيته
“During the era of the Prophet ﷺ, a man would offer one goat on behalf of himself and his entire household.”
They would eat from it and feed others, until people began to act with pride, leading to what you see today.
[Sahih: Sahih Ibn Majah: 2546; Book of Sacrifices: Chapter: One Who Sacrificed a Goat on Behalf of His Family; Ibn Majah: 3147; Tirmidhi: 1505; Book of Sacrifices: Chapter: A Single Goat Suffices for the Household]
✦ Scholarly Differences on This Issue
There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding whether one goat suffices for the entire household or only for one person.
❖ ① Ḥanafī View:
According to the Ḥanafī school, one goat is sufficient only for one person.
Sources:
Bada’i al-Sana’i: 5/70
Al-Durr al-Mukhtar: 5/222
Bidayat al-Mujtahid: 1/420
Mughni al-Muhtaj: 4/285
Al-Muhadhdhab: 1/238
Al-Mughni: 8/619
Kashshaf al-Qina‘: 2/617
❖ ② Al-Nawawi (رحمه الله):
Imam Nawawi claimed, according to his understanding, that this is a consensus opinion (Ijma‘) in support of the Ḥanafī view.
Source: Sharh Muslim: 7/132
❖ ③ Mālik, Awzā‘ī, and Layth (رحمهم الله):
According to these scholars, one goat suffices for the entire household.
Sources:
Tuhfat al-Ahwazi: 5/72
Muwatta’, Book of Sacrifices: Chapter: Partnership
❖ ④ Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله):
He stated that one goat is sufficient for the entire household, regardless of their number. This was also the practice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Source: Zād al-Ma‘ād: 2/323
❖ ⑤ Imam Shawkānī (رحمه الله):
He firmly stated:
“The correct opinion is that one goat suffices for the entire household—even if their number reaches a hundred or more.”
Source: Nayl al-Awtār: 3/485
✦ Preference of the Strongest Opinion (الراجح)
The view held by Imam Shawkānī and those who agree with him is considered stronger (راجح), as it is directly supported by the hadith of Abu Ayyub (رضي الله عنه) quoted earlier.
✦ Objection from Ḥanafīs
Zayla‘i (رحمه الله), a Ḥanafī scholar, acknowledged the strength of the hadith of Abu Ayyub (رضي الله عنه) by stating:
“This hadith has put the Ḥanafī madhhab in difficulty.”
Source: Naṣb al-Rāyah: 4/210
✔ Conclusion:
The stronger and well-supported opinion is that a single goat is sufficient for the entire household, as practiced during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. Although the Ḥanafī view restricts it to one individual, the hadith and scholarly consensus from other schools provide clear support for the permissibility of offering one goat on behalf of an entire family.
