This excerpt is taken from Professor Dr. Fazl Elahi's book Masail-e-Qurbani.
A Muslim should buy an animal for sacrifice that is healthy, robust, and as free from defects as possible. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) pointed out certain defects, any one of which would render an animal unfit for sacrifice. Two hadiths on this matter are presented below:
➊ The Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah narrated from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood among us, and my fingers were shorter than his fingers, and my palms smaller than his palms. He (peace be upon him) said:
أربع لا تجوز فى الأضاحي: العوراء بين عورها، والمريضة بين مرضها، والعرجاء بين ظلعها، والكسير التى لا تنقي.
Four types of animals are not permissible for sacrifice: one-eyed, whose one eye is clearly missing; sick, whose illness is obvious; lame, whose lameness is apparent; and such an old animal that there is no flesh left on its bones.
[Ubaid bin Firoz] said: I said, I dislike a defect in the teeth of the sacrificial animal.
They [Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him)] replied: Leave what you dislike [i.e., do not sacrifice that animal], but do not declare the sacrifice of that animal forbidden for others because of your dislike.
Reference: Note: Al-Musnad 300/4.
Reference: Al-Musnad 300/4 (published by Al-Maktab Al-Islami); Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on disliked sacrifices, Hadith number 2799, 357/7 - 358; Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Sacrifices, Chapter on what is not permissible for sacrifice, Hadith number 1530, 67/5; Sunan an-Nasa’i, Book of Sacrifices, The Lame, 215/7; and Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapters on Sacrifices, What is disliked to be sacrificed, Hadith number 207/2, 3182.
The wording of the hadith is from Sunan Abi Dawood. Imam Tirmidhi classified it as [Hasan Sahih]. Imam Nawawi and Sheikh Albani declared it authentic.
Reference: (See: Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 68/5 and Al-Majmu’ 299/8; Sahih Sunan Abi Dawood 539/2; Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah 202/2).
Imam Nawawi wrote:
وأجمعوا أن العيوب المذكورة فى حديث البراء رضي الله عنهما ولا تجزئ التضحية بها، وكذا ما كان فى معناها، أو أقبح منها كالعمي وقطع الرجل وشبهه.
There is consensus that the sacrifice of animals with the four defects mentioned in the hadith of Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) is not permissible. Sacrificing animals with defects similar to or more severe than these is also not valid, such as an animal that is completely blind or has a leg or a similar part cut off.
Reference: Quoted from Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi 68/5.
Imam Khattabi states:
وفيه دليل على أن العيب الخفيف فى الصحايا معفو عنه: ألا تراه يقول: بين عورها ، ، وبين مرضها ، وبين ظلعها ، فالقليل منه غير بين، فكان معفوا عنه
This hadith indicates that minor defects in sacrificial animals are excused. Do you not see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “One-eyed whose one eye is clearly missing, sick whose illness is obvious, lame whose lameness is apparent,” and any minor defect that is not clear and apparent is excused.
Reference: Ma’alim as-Sunan 230/2.
➋ The Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, and Hakim narrated from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن نستشرف العين والأذن، وأن لا نضحي بعوراء، ولا مقابلة، ولا مدابرة، ولا شرقاء، ولا خرقاء.
The Messenger of Allah commanded us to thoroughly inspect the eyes and ears of the sacrificial animal and not to slaughter an animal that is one-eyed, or whose ears are cut and hanging from the front or back, or whose ears are cut lengthwise or widthwise (or whose ears have holes).
Reference: Al-Musnad, part of Hadith number 315/2, 1274.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar writes: “Ahmad and the four [Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah] narrated it, and Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban declared it authentic.”
Reference: (Bulugh al-Maram p. 281)
Sheikh Ahmad Shakir also declared its chain authentic.
Reference: (See footnote Al-Musnad 315/2)
From the above hadiths, it is understood that it is not correct to sacrifice animals with the following defects:
● One-eyed, whose one eye is clearly missing.
● Sick, whose illness is obvious.
● Lame, whose lameness is apparent.
● Old, whose bones have no flesh left.
● Whose ears are cut and hanging from the front.
● Whose ears are cut and hanging from the back.
● Whose ears are cut lengthwise.
● Whose ears are cut widthwise [or whose ears have holes].
And it is also not correct to sacrifice animals with defects greater than these.
