IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICIENT, THE MERCIFUL
BEING THE FOURTH KHUTBAH FOR THE MONTH OF DHUL-QA’DAH, DATED 24TH DHUL-QA’DAH 1443AH (24TH JUNE, 2022CE)
SOME RULINGS OF THE SACRIFICE
All Praises belong to Allah, among Whose greatest favours on His servants is that he made the paths of goodness easy for them, and He made for them times and occasions in which they increase in their reward and righteous deeds. Among these times are the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, which Allah Ta’alah favoured over all other days, and the reward for those who did righteous deeds (in them) are multiplied. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone. He has no partner, and glorified He is above what they associate with Him. I bear witness that Muhammad is His true and trustworthy servant and Messenger, may Blessings of Allah be upon him, his family and his companions who judged with the truth and by it, they were just. May He also grant him Peace – copious bountiful Peace.
Thereafter… Servants of Allah, I enjoin you and myself with the fear of Allah Almighty, secretly and openly. It is indeed the desired goal of all acts of worship and recommended good deeds, in tandem with the Words of Allah Ta’alah: (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُون) “O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).” (Al-Baqarah: 21)
Brothers in faith, this is the fourth meeting in the month of Dhul-Qa’adah, which is one of the scared months. In the last sermon we talked about Hajj, that it is an act of worship, not tourism. Our topic today, in-shaa Allah Ta’alah, is: The rulings of sacrifice of Eid.
Majority of the scholars said that the sacrifice of eid is an emphasized sunnah while some of them said that is mandatory for anyone who is able to do it because the prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) kept the practice and did not leave it at anytime, and he indeed harped on it with his words, and he did it persistently. And it is not valid sacrifice except it is done with a true intention, that is, with the intention for the servant to seek the face of Allah Ta’alah. (لَنْ يَنَالَ اللهَ لُحُومُهَا ولا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَكِنْ يَنَالُهُ التَّقوى مِنكم) “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him.” (Al-Hajj: 37). Therefore, if one slaughters for anyone or anything other than Allah, then it is a major Shirk, same as worshipping idols. The sacrifice of Eid has a limited time in the Sharee’ah, and it is beginning from after the Eid prayer on the day od Eid until the sunset of the thirteen day of Dhul-Hijjah. That is the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him). He used to slaughter on the day of Eid and the three days following Eid (Aayamul Tashreeq). The day of Eid is the most excellent, though, to slaughter. It si not permissible to delay it beyond these days or to hasten it before. He (Peace and Blessings be upon him) gave sermon to his companions on the day of Eid and said: “The first thig we do on this day of ours is to pray, then w return home to slaughter. Whoever slaughter like that has indeed done our sunnah correctly. Whoever slaughters before that, then it is only meat for his family”
Some of the Rulings and Conditions
Five conditions are necessary for the sacrifice:
- The intention: That is because the sacrifice is an act of seeking closeness to Allah, and every act that one does to seek nearness to Allah, for it to be valid and acceptable, needs good intention, because of r his saying – peace and blessings be upon him – in the authentic hadith: “Actions are only by intentions, and every person shall have what he intended” (Bukhari and Muslim). And the intention is at the time of slaughter. If he makes the intention even before that time, is suffices, based on the well-known sayings of scholars of jurisprudence (fiqh).
- The sacrifice should be livestock animals, and these include camel, cow, bull, ram and goat and other types of livestock, and this include both male and female animals, as well as castrated and uncastrated animals. Anything outside of these types is not permissible, based on the most well-known four schools of fiqh. And he made clear for us, the permissible age for the animal. He said: “Sacrifice only a grown-up animal, unless it is difficult for you, in which case sacrifice a ram (of even less than a year, but more than six months’ age).” (Muslim). So he indicated that he must be a matured animal and for the camels, it must be at least five years, for the cow, it must be at least two years, for the goat, it must be at least a year old while for the ram, it must be at least six months old.
- This sacrifice (animal) must be free from defects that prevent it from being permissible. The prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) explained these defects. It has been related on the authority of Al-Baraa ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said: “There are four that will not do as sacrifices: The animal that clearly has one bad eye: the sick animals that is obviously sick; the lame animal with an obvious lamp; and the animal that is so emaciated that it is as if there is no marrow in its bones” (Abu Daawud). And there are other defects that should be avoided, such as the one that has more than half of its horn or its ears cut, because it is an act of worship for Allah, and the best must be selected. (وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنْفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُمْ بِآخِذِيهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُغْمِضُواْ فِيهِ) “and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein.” (Al-Baqarah: 267). And “Allah is pure, he does not accept except what is pure.”
- To slaughter the animal on the day of Eid, or the two days after it, according to Abu Hanifa and Ahmad bin Hanbal. As-Shafi’i jurists allow slaughtering on the four days of Eid, as evidenced by his saying (Peace and Blessings be upon him): “all the passes of Makkah are a thoroughfare and a place of sacrifice, all the days of Tashreeq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Zul-Hijjah) are days of slaughtering (of animals as a sacrifice).” (Ahmad and Al-Buzaar). And the days of al-Tashreeq: are the second, third and fourth days of Eid.
- That the slaughtering takes place after the Eid prayer, according to the consensus of the Muslims, and whoever slaughters before the Eid prayer, then it is meat that he offered to his family, or charity that he has given, and he has not accomplished the Sunnah, and he must slaughter another one. Al-Baraa ibn A’azib (may Allah eb pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) addressed us on the day of Eidul-Adha after the prayer, and he said: Whoever prays our prayers and then does our sacrifice (of slaughtering), he has accomplished the sacrifice, but whoever performs the sacrifice before the prayer, that is only a sheep to obtain meat.” (Ahmad, Bukhari and Muslim)
The Etiquette of Slaughtering
The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) also explained to us the manner and etiquette of slaughtering, and he guided us to the straight path. Among the most important of them are:
Firstly, the name of Allah must be mentioned, facing the direction of the Qiblah, because the name of Allah is a condition for the sacrificial animal to be halaal, because Allah Ta’alah says in his precise Book: (فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللهِ علَيْهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ بِآيَاتِهِ مُؤْمِنِينَ) “So eat of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has been pronounced (while slaughtering the animal), if you are believers in His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.).” (Al-An’aam:118), and (ولاَ تَأْكُلُواْ مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللهِ علَيْهِ وَإِنُّهُ لَفِسْقٌ) “Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allah).” (Al-An’aam:121).
Secondly, the Sunnah is for the Muslim who is capable and able to do it well to slaughter his own sacrifice himself. The prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) slaughtered it with his own hands. However, if the person is not able to do the slaughtering well, then he should be there to witness it. The prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said to his daughter, Faatimah, may Allah be pleased with her: “Get up and go to witness the slaughtering of your sacrifice. You will be forgiven, with the first drop of its blood all sin you committed. And then say “Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).” (Al-An’aam:162). One of the companions said: O Messenger of Allah, is this for you and your family in particular, or for the muslims in general? The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said: “Rather, it’s for muslims in general.” (Tirmidhiy and Abu Daawud).
Thirdly, the person who offers the sacrifice must seek the face of Allah the Most Mighty and Sublime with his sacrifice, so that he obtains His Reward and His Pleasure. It was narrated from the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) that he said: “Whoever slaughters a good sacrifice himself, hoping to be rewarded for the sacrifice, it will be a shield for him from the Fire.” (Al-Mundhiriy mentioned this hadith in his book, At-Targheeb wa-Tarheeb).
Fourth: It is recommended to be kind to animals and to use a sharp tool in order to get the sacrifice ready without torturing it. “Allah has decreed proficiency in all things, so when you kill, kill well, and when you slaughter, slaughter will. Let one of you sharpen his blade and spare suffering to the animal he slaughters” (Muslim). And we should not sharpen the knife in front of the animal, and that we not slaughter one while other ones are looking.
Fifth: It is obligatory upon us to drain the blood by cutting off the throat and esophagus of the animal, and we should complete that by cutting off the jugular organs, so that this would be a relief and leniency for the animal.
Sixth: The Sunnah is for a Muslim to eat from his sacrifice and give as a gift and to feed his family, neighbors, friends, and the poor and needy among the Muslims. Allah Ta’alah says: (فإَذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُواْ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُواْ الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ) “Then, when they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat thereof, and feed the beggar who does not ask (men), and the beggar who asks (men).” (Al-Hajj: 36). Some of the scholars of fiqh preferred that he divide it into three thirds, one third to his family and one third to his neighbors and friends, even if they are rich, as a gift, and one third to the poor and needy. It is not permissible to give the butcher part of it as wage for him except if given as sadaqah or gift, and it is not permissible to sell it according to most of the scholars of fiqh.
Seventh: It is permissible for the people of one household to combine and share an animal, whether it is sheep, camels or cows, based on the hadith of Abu Aqil Zahr ibn Ma’bad on the authority of his grandfather, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Hisham, that he said: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) used to sacrifice one sheep on behalf of all his family” (Ahmad and Al-Haakim). As for other than members of one household, the majority of scholars of fiqh opine that it is permitted to share a sacrifice if it is a camel or cow, and the camel is permissible for seven or less. Jaabir ibn Abdillah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “We sacrificed with the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) in Al-Hudaybiyah. The camel is on behalf of seven people, and cow also on behalf of seven people” (Muslim and others). And we should not forget that whoever wants to slaughter a sacrifice should not remove any of his hair or nails from when the new moon (of Dhul-Hijjah) begins, based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him): “He who has a sacrificial animal with him whom (he intends) to offer as sacrifice, and he enters the month of Zul-Hijjah, he should not get his hair cut or nails trimmed until he has sacrificed the animal.” (Muslim on the authority of Um Salamah).
We ask Allah Ta’alah to accept from us and from you our good deeds and to help us and you to follow the Sunnah of the Choosen one – the Prophet – and to work with it, and to remain steadfast on the Truth. Indeed, He is capable over all things.
THE SECOND KHUTBAH
All Praise is due to Allah, the Sovereign, the Supreme, the Powerful, the Exalted in might, the Irresistible. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, the possessor of greatness, glory, and power. And I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and chosen Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, his household, companions, and those that follow them in goodness, as long as the night and day alternate,
Glad tidings! Dear Muslims: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, the Truth, the Just. Honorable Servants of Allah, last Friday, the Supreme Court of Nigeria announced that female Muslim students in all government schools are free to wear the hijab.
It all began in October 2014, when a Lagos state high court ruled against wearing the hijab in schools on the grounds that it was not part of the school’s approved uniform for students. The Court of Appeal then overturned this decision in July 2016 and gave the female students the freedom to wear the hijab, and upheld the Muslim students’ argument that the ban violated their rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, human dignity and freedom from discrimination as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution.
Then, Lagos State appealed the ruling before the Supreme Court, due to its dissatisfaction with the earlier ruling.
The lawsuit was between Asiyah Abdul Kareem- who was whipped forty strokes by her principal – (through her father), Moriam Oyenyi and the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria against the Lagos State government.
Pending the outcome of the Supreme Court, the lagos state government issued a circular supporting the use of the hijab for Muslim students in public schools in November 2018.
And all praises are to Allah, in the end, in a majority ruling, where six out of the seven members ruled in favor of the hijab, while one of them objected, the Supreme Court rejected the Lagos State appeal and held that the hijab ban is discriminatory.
The Exalted says: (يريدون ليطفئو نور الله بأفواههم والله متم نوره ولو كره الكافرون) “They wish to extinguish Allah’s light with their mouths, but Allah will ˹certainly˺ perfect His light, even to the dismay of the disbelievers.” (Surat Al-Saff: 8)
Secondly: Among the problems that Nigeria is suffering from is the problem of kidnapping, and banditry day and night. Unfortunately, the ugliness of the problem has reached such an extent that places of worship have not been spared from its bloody shackles and deadly poisons. It is well known in Shariah that the places of worship – mosques and churches – have their divine sanctity, which is described in the following verse. (وَلَوْلا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَواتٌ وَمَساجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً) “Had Allah not repelled ˹the aggression of˺ some people by means of others, destruction would have surely claimed monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which Allah’s Name is often mentioned.” [Al-hajj: 40]. The news came from Kaduna state confirming that bandits attacked worshipers at Maranatha Baptist Church and St. Moses Catholic Church, killing three and wounding two in Kajuru local government area of the state. Just in the same way it happened recently in Owo and Ogun. The Kaduna government report showed that in three months, bandits killed 360 and kidnapped 1,389 people. It is unfortunate that they have turned this forbidden act to a means of earning! Let them know that their tyranny cannot incapacitate Allah in the heavens or on the earth and that their punishment will be dire and a great loss.
Allah says:
(وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِي الْأَوْتادِ (10) الَّذِينَ طَغَوْا فِي الْبِلادِ (11) فَأَكْثَرُوا فِيهَا الْفَسادَ (12) فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذابٍ (13) إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصادِ (14)
“and the Pharaoh of mighty structures?, They all transgressed throughout the land, spreading much corruption there. So your Lord unleashed on them a scourge of punishment. ˹For˺ your Lord is truly vigilant.” (Surat Al-Fajr: 10-14)
Thus, we call on the citizens to put their trust in Allah in order to overcome the challenge, and to ensure the continuity of unity, and to renounce all forms of division in the name of tribalism or religion.