The Day of Sacrifice

[Lesson 124 continued, (Book of the Two Eids - كتاب العيدين), al Tajrid al Sarih]

Chapter 9: Chapter of Slaughtering of camels and other animals

Narrated Ibn Umar (رضى الله عنه): The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to Nahr or Dhabh at the Musalla (on 'Id-ul-Adha) [Hadeeth 536, al Tajrid al Sarih]

Shaykh mentioned how traditionally camels and other animals were slaughtered in the musalla and not at home or other locations.

An-Nahr refers to the slaughter of all animals other than camels for which the term Adh-Dhabh is used.

A person may ask why animals were slaughtered at the musalla and not at home. The reason for this is because the slaughter of animals is one of the traditions of Islam. The day of Eid is the day of sacrifice. We as Muslims should not have any reservations about the slaughter and nor be embarrassed or ashamed of this practice. It is narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (رضى الله عنه) would purchase animals to slaughter and would openly ask his attendant to tell people that it was the animal of Abdullah ibn Umar (رضى الله عنه) which would be slaughtered. Once Abdullah ibn Umar (رضى الله عنه) was ill and he could not go for Eid salah. However, he still asked someone to slaughter his animal in the musalla (not at home). This incident shows how much importance the sahabah attached to the slaughter being conducted in public.

The important lesson that Shaykh drew from this hadeeth is that the ulema all agree that the alternative is still permissible despite the clear hadeeth and actions of the sahabah i.e. the sahabah would diligently slaughter in the musalla but this is not the practice now. Similarly, in Lesson 123 the same was the case with the use of a minbar for the Eid khutbah (despite the hadeeth clearly stating that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would not use a minbar). In both cases, the ulema have ruled unanimously that we should accept the alternatives as being acceptable and thus we should accept these rulings.

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah (رضى الله عنه):
On the Day of Eid the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to return (after offering the 'Eid prayer) through a way different from that by which he went [Hadeeth 537, al Tajrid al Sarih]

Hadeeth 537 tells us about the well-known Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to alternate the route to and from Eid salah.

The Hadeeth of Aisha (رضى الله عنها) about Abyssinians (see Hadeeth 286). It is added in this narration that she said “Umar scolded them. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, 'Leave them. O Bani Arfida! (carry on), you are safe (protected)'." [Hadeeth 538, al Tajrid al Sarih]

The final hadeeth in this book contains some additional wordings to Hadeeth 286. However, Shaykh mentioned the different wordings and narrations during the commentary of that hadeeth (286). In this hadeeth the term bani Arfida is used – this is another name for Abyssinians. Imam Zain-ud-Din Ahmad bin Abdul Lateef az-Zubaidi mentioned this narration at the end of this book because it includes a sentence from a longer narration which was not mentioned previously.

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And so here ends the Book of the Two Eids (كتاب العيدين). It was announced at Al Kawthar Academy that the next dars will be on 5th May 2006 insha'Allah.