Bab al-Hady — Sacrificial Offerings, Eligibility, Slaughter and Handling

1. Scope of Bab al-Hady

Hady is an animal offering dedicated to the sacred precinct in the ritual context of Hajj or Umrah.

Four core questions:
1. Which animals, ages and physical conditions qualify?
2. When can people share one offering?
3. When and where is slaughter performed, and who may eat the meat?
4. What if an animal becomes defective or dies en route?

These rules belong to the ritual law of hady, not ordinary household slaughter or unrestricted charity.

2. Chapter heading

بَابُ الْهَدْيِ
Translation: Chapter on sacrificial offerings (hady).

The word hady here denotes the animal designated for offering within the sacred rites.

Its root is h-d-y. The chapter addresses a ritual offering, not merely taking livestock on a journey.

3. Minimum qualifying offering

الْهَدْيُ أَدْنَاهُ شَاةٌ.
Translation: The minimum hady is one sheep or goat.

Adnāhu identifies the ordinary minimum.

Two express exceptions follow later: in specific violations, the offering must be a larger animal rather than a sheep/goat. Not every dam requires the identical animal.

4. The three permitted livestock classes

وَهُوَ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَنْوَاعٍ: مِنَ الْإِبِلِ، وَالْبَقَرِ، وَالْغَنَمِ.
Translation: It consists of three kinds: camels, cattle, and sheep/goats.

Ibil: camels.
Baqar: cattle, a legal genus including buffalo under Hanafi classification.
Ghanam: sheep and goats.

An expensive horse or deer is not eligible simply because it has monetary value.

5. Minimum maturity

يُجْزِئُ فِي ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ الثَّنِيُّ فَصَاعِدًا، إِلَّا مِنَ الضَّأْنِ فَإِنَّ الْجَذَعَ مِنْهُ يُجْزِئُ.
Translation: The thani or older qualifies, except a jadha‘ of sheep also qualifies.

Thani is a legal maturity term varying by species. The concession for a jadha‘ applies to sheep, not to a young goat.

The following slide explains the age benchmarks used in Hanafi legal commentaries.

6. Age thresholds by species

Standard Hanafi age benchmarks:
Camel: at least 5 completed years.
Cattle/buffalo: at least 2 completed years.
Goat: at least 1 completed year.
Sheep: normally 1 year; a sufficiently well-developed jadha‘ of at least six completed months can qualify.

These numerical benchmarks are explanatory details from Hanafi commentaries, not numbers explicitly in the quoted sentence.

7. Disqualifying loss of ear or tail

وَلَا يُجْزِئُ فِي الْهَدْيِ مَقْطُوعُ الْأُذُنِ أَوْ أَكْثَرِهَا، وَلَا مَقْطُوعُ الذَّنَبِ.
Translation: An animal with a cut-off ear, most of its ear missing, or its tail cut off does not qualify.

Maqtū‘ means cut off, and aktharihā means most of the ear.

The ruling targets substantial, disqualifying loss. A slight scratch should not be assumed identical to loss of most of an ear; precise borderline cases require specialist assessment.

8. Limbs, eyesight, weakness and lameness

وَلَا مَقْطُوعُ الْيَدِ وَلَا الرِّجْلِ، وَلَا ذَاهِبَةُ الْعَيْنِ، وَلَا الْعَجْفَاءِ، وَلَا الْعَرْجَاءِ الَّتِي لَا تَمْشِي إِلَى الْمَنْسَكِ.
Translation: Nor an animal missing a limb, blind in an eye, severely emaciated, or so lame that it cannot walk to the sacrificial site.

‘Ajfā’ is markedly emaciated; ‘arjā’ is lame.

The phrase “cannot walk to the ritual site” specifies a severe level of lameness. Legal disqualification turns on the stated defects, not merely aesthetic imperfection.

9. Animal eligibility checklist

Evaluate four separate requirements:
1. Is it one of the eligible livestock species?
2. Does it meet its species-specific age standard?
3. Is it free of a disqualifying defect?
4. Does the particular obligation accept a sheep/goat, or demand a larger animal?

Example: a healthy eight-month-old goat does not meet the usual goat age requirement; good health alone does not cure the age deficiency.

10. Two cases requiring a larger offering

وَالشَّاةُ جَائِزَةٌ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا فِي مَوْضِعَيْنِ: مَنْ طَافَ طَوَافَ الزِّيَارَةِ جُنُبًا، وَمَنْ جَامَعَ بَعْدَ الْوُقُوفِ بِعَرَفَةَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ فِيهِمَا إِلَّا بَدَنَةٌ.
Translation: A sheep normally suffices except in two cases: performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah while in major ritual impurity, or intercourse after standing at Arafat. These require a badana.

These are two particular penalties, not a command that every pilgrim must sacrifice a large animal.

Badana denotes the major offering of the prescribed category. Its application is governed by the relevant Hanafi ruling.

11. Timing of intercourse changes the ruling

Separate the timing:
Before the standing at Arafat, intercourse raises the separate issue of a spoiled Hajj and making it up.
After the standing, this clause specifies a major offering in its stated context.

Do not reduce the two different situations to one unconditional rule.

12. Sharing a camel or cow seven ways

وَالْبَدَنَةُ وَالْبَقَرَةُ تُجْزِئُ كُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا عَنْ سَبْعَةِ أَنْفُسٍ، إِذَا كَانَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الشُّرَكَاءِ يُرِيدُ الْقُرْبَةَ.
Translation: A camel or cow can suffice for seven participants, provided every participant intends worship and nearness to God.

Sab‘ah indicates up to seven prescribed shares. Qurbah means a worshipful intention.

Eligibility requires each participant to intend an act of worship. Writing seven names on a list is not a substitute if someone joins purely to buy meat.

13. A meat-only share invalidates the arrangement

فَإِنْ أَرَادَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِنَصِيبِهِ اللَّحْمَ لَمْ يُجْزِئِ الْبَاقِينَ عَنِ الْقُرْبَةِ.
Translation: If one participant intends merely to obtain meat from his share, the offering will not count for the others either.

The legal validity of a shared offering depends upon the intentions of the group.

Example: six partners intend an offering but the seventh only wants meat. Under al-Quduri’s statement, the joint offering does not discharge the others’ obligations.

14. Seven-share examples

Case 1: Seven qualifying participants in one cow fall within the sharing limit.
Case 2: Dividing the cow into eight such shares exceeds that limit.
Case 3: Five participants with qualifying intentions are not disqualified merely for being fewer than seven.

Keep the numerical ceiling distinct from the required worshipful intention.

15. Meat from voluntary, tamattu and qiran offerings

وَيَجُوزُ الْأَكْلُ مِنْ هَدْيِ التَّطَوُّعِ وَالْمُتْعَةِ وَالْقِرَانِ.
Translation: The meat of voluntary hady and the hady of tamattu or qiran may be eaten.

Tatawwu‘ means a voluntary offering.
Tamattu and qiran involve their respective ritual gratitude offerings.

This permission is not automatically extended to every compensatory or penalty offering.

16. Meat from other obligatory penalties

وَلَا يَجُوزُ الْأَكْلُ مِنْ بَقِيَّةِ الْهَدَايَا.
Translation: Eating the meat of the other categories of offerings is not permitted for the person liable.

Baqiyyat al-hadāyā refers to the other offerings, including compensatory sacrifices whose meat is directed to eligible recipients.

Identify the legal category before determining whether the giver may consume any of its meat.

17. Distinguishing eating permissions

Voluntary hady: the giver may eat.
Tamattu hady: the giver may eat.
Qiran hady: the giver may eat.
Other penalty/compensatory hady: the giver may not eat; it is directed to eligible recipients.

The distinction turns on the legal cause and type of offering, not on whether the animal is a sheep or cow.

18. When the three listed offerings are slaughtered

وَلَا يَجُوزُ ذَبْحُ هَدْيِ التَّطَوُّعِ وَالْمُتْعَةِ وَالْقِرَانِ إِلَّا فِي يَوْمِ النَّحْرِ.
Translation: The voluntary, tamattu and qiran offerings are not to be slaughtered except on the Day of Sacrifice.

Al-Quduri uses the phrase yawm al-nahr, referring to the appointed sacrificial timing associated with 10 Dhu al-Hijjah.

Do not generalize it into unrestricted timing. Place and time are independent legal constraints; the permissible sacrifice days are treated in fuller Hanafi discussions.

Important commentarial distinction: Hanafi explanations identify the sacrificial period for tamattu and qiran as 10–12 Dhu al-Hijjah. Fath al-Qadir also reports an authoritative allowance to slaughter a voluntary hady earlier after it reaches the Haram, with slaughter in the sacrifice days preferred. This qualification is separate from the quoted wording.

19. Timing of other offerings

وَيَجُوزُ ذَبْحُ بَقِيَّةِ الْهَدَايَا أَيَّ وَقْتٍ شَاءَ.
Translation: Other categories of hady may be slaughtered at a permitted time outside the special appointed timing for the three named categories.

This contrasts offerings governed by the appointed sacrifice-day restriction with other offerings.

“Whenever he wishes” here does not cancel the next sentence’s distinct requirement that hady be slaughtered within the Haram.

20. All hady is slaughtered in the Haram

وَلَا يَجُوزُ ذَبْحُ الْهَدَايَا إِلَّا فِي الْحَرَمِ.
Translation: Hady animals may not be slaughtered outside the sacred precinct (Haram).

Haram means the legally bounded sacred precinct around Makkah, not merely the walls of al-Masjid al-Haram.

Slaughtering a required hady in an unrelated city does not meet the location requirement in this chapter.

21. Distribution is not restricted to Haram residents

وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ بِهَا عَلَى مَسَاكِينِ الْحَرَمِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ.
Translation: Its meat may be given in charity to poor people of the Haram and to poor people elsewhere.

Place of slaughter and residence of recipients are separate matters.

Example: an offering is duly slaughtered in the Haram and its meat is distributed to eligible poor people elsewhere; this clause permits such distribution.

22. No obligation to present the hady at Arafat

وَلَا يَجِبُ التَّعْرِيفُ بِالْهَدَايَا.
Translation: It is not obligatory to take the hady animals to Arafat for presentation.

Ta‘rīf bi-l-hadāyā is a ritual term for bringing offerings to Arafat.

It does not merely mean publicly describing the animals. The requirement of slaughter within the Haram remains distinct.

23. Nahr for camels and dhabḥ for cattle/sheep

وَالْأَفْضَلُ فِي الْبُدْنِ النَّحْرُ، وَفِي الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ الذَّبْحُ.
Translation: The preferred method for a camel is nahr, while for cattle and sheep/goats it is dhabḥ.

Nahr is the sacrificial method preferred for camels.
Dhabḥ is the usual slaughter method preferred for cattle and sheep/goats.

Al-afḍal expresses preference; it does not by itself say every other lawful method is automatically void.

24. Slaughtering personally where capable

وَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يَتَوَلَّى الْإِنْسَانُ ذَبْحَهَا بِنَفْسِهِ إِنْ كَانَ يُحْسِنُ ذَلِكَ.
Translation: It is preferable for a person to perform the slaughter personally if competent to do it properly.

If capable is an important qualifier. The preference does not require an untrained person to attempt unsafe or improper slaughter.

A competent slaughterer can carry out the rite where the owner cannot.

25. Disposing of the animal’s covering and halter

وَيَتَصَدَّقُ بِجِلَالِهَا وَخِطَامِهَا.
Translation: The animal’s covering and halter should also be given in charity.

Jilāl means the animal’s covering or cloth.
Khiṭām means its halter or leading strap.

The text directs that these accompanying items also be donated.

26. Butcher’s fee is separate from the offering

وَلَا يُعْطِي أُجْرَةَ الْجَزَّارِ مِنْهَا.
Translation: The butcher’s wages are not to be paid from the sacrificial animal.

Ujrah is a contractual wage.

Example: the agreed slaughter fee should be paid from separate funds, not deducted from the offering’s meat or skin.

A genuine charitable gift and payment for labor are not the same transaction.

27. Three separate decisions

1. Where? Within the Haram.
2. When? Depends on the kind of hady.
3. Who receives the meat? Depends on the legal reason for the offering.

A claim that the animal was sacrificed does not itself establish compliance with all three requirements.

28. Riding an offering animal from necessity

وَمَنْ سَاقَ بَدَنَةً فَاضْطُرَّ إِلَى رُكُوبِهَا رَكِبَهَا.
Translation: Someone bringing a sacrificial camel may ride it when genuinely compelled by necessity.

Fa-ḍṭurra signals necessity.

The concession addresses genuine need, not habitual use of an animal already dedicated for the offering.

29. No riding without need

وَإِنِ اسْتَغْنَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَرْكَبْهَا.
Translation: If riding is no longer necessary, he must refrain from riding it.

The earlier clause gives a concession; this one limits it.

Example: riding briefly because of an urgent physical need does not make continued riding permissible once another suitable option becomes available.

30. Milk of the designated animal

وَإِنْ كَانَ لَهَا لَبَنٌ لَمْ يَحْلِبْهَا، وَلَكِنْ يَنْضَحُ ضَرْعَهَا بِالْمَاءِ الْبَارِدِ حَتَّى يَنْقَطِعَ اللَّبَنُ.
Translation: If it has milk, he should not milk it; the text prescribes sprinkling the udder with cool water until the flow ceases.

Ḍar‘ means udder and yanḍaḥ means sprinkling water.

This describes a traditional ruling and husbandry practice in the classical text. Modern animal welfare and veterinary considerations should be observed if the animal faces distress or illness; it should not be extrapolated to ordinary dairy livestock.

31. Voluntary offering lost on the way

وَمَنْ سَاقَ هَدْيًا فَعَطِبَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ تَطَوُّعًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ غَيْرُهُ.
Translation: If a dedicated offering animal becomes unfit or perishes en route and it was voluntary, another is not required.

‘Aṭiba means it perished or became unable to reach its intended end.

This exemption applies to a voluntary hady. A compulsory hady is treated differently in the next clause.

32. Replacement for a compulsory offering

وَإِنْ كَانَ عَنْ وَاجِبٍ فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُقِيمَ غَيْرَهُ مَقَامَهُ.
Translation: If the animal was for an obligatory offering, he must provide another in its place.

Yuqīma ghayrahu maqāmahu means substituting another qualifying animal.

Loss of the original animal does not discharge the pre-existing ritual obligation.

33. A major defect before slaughter

وَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ عَيْبٌ كَبِيرٌ أَقَامَ غَيْرَهُ مَقَامَهُ، وَصَنَعَ بِالْمَعِيبِ مَا شَاءَ.
Translation: If it develops a serious defect, he substitutes another animal and may dispose of the defective one as he wishes.

‘Ayb kabīr is a significant, disqualifying defect.

In the obligatory-hady context, one does not treat a seriously defective animal as if the duty were fulfilled. The reading bi-l-ma‘īb means the defective animal; an online witness has a typographical variant.

34. Voluntary versus obligatory loss

Voluntary hady perishes: a replacement is not independently required.
Obligatory hady perishes: the duty remains and a substitute is needed.
Obligatory hady becomes seriously defective: a sound replacement is required.

These are distinct cases. For instance, a compulsory penalty offering remains due if its designated animal dies before fulfilling the obligation.

35. Marking a voluntary camel that fails en route

وَإِذَا عَطِبَتِ الْبَدَنَةُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ تَطَوُّعًا نَحَرَهَا، وَصَبَغَ نَعْلَهَا بِدَمِهَا، وَضَرَبَ بِهَا صَفْحَتَهَا.
Translation: If a voluntary sacrificial camel fails on the journey, he slaughters it and marks the animal with the blood-stained shoe attached to its garland.

Na‘l refers to a shoe tied to the traditional garland identifying a hady animal; ṣafḥah is its side.

The marking was a historical means of identifying a failed voluntary offering for the poor. It is not a substitute for lawful modern animal handling or official sacrificial arrangements.

This is a special emergency case involving an animal that cannot reach its destination; it does not permit routine slaughter of sound hady outside the Haram.

36. Who may not eat a failed voluntary hady

وَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ مِنْهَا هُوَ وَلَا غَيْرُهُ مِنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ.
Translation: Neither the owner nor other wealthy persons may eat from this failed voluntary offering.

Ordinary voluntary hady was earlier listed among offerings the owner may eat. This sentence concerns a special case: the voluntary offering fails on the journey and is slaughtered there.

Its meat is reserved for the poor; this is a specific exception, not a contradiction.

37. A failed compulsory camel offering

وَإِنْ كَانَتْ وَاجِبَةً أَقَامَ غَيْرَهَا مَقَامَهَا، وَصَنَعَ بِهَا مَا شَاءَ.
Translation: If it was an obligatory offering, he provides a replacement and may dispose of the original animal.

The duty to offer the compulsory hady survives the animal’s failure.

Once a replacement is due, the original animal has a different disposal rule from the failed voluntary offering described just before.

38. Garlanding certain offerings

وَيُقَلِّدُ هَدْيَ التَّطَوُّعِ وَالْمُتْعَةِ وَالْقِرَانِ.
Translation: The voluntary, tamattu and qiran offerings are marked with garlands.

Taqlīd means identifying a sacrificial animal by a garland or traditional marking.

This is not the pilgrim’s state of ihram, and not every category of offering is marked identically.

39. Offerings not garlanded

وَلَا يُقَلِّدُ دَمَ الْإِحْصَارِ وَلَا دَمَ الْجِنَايَاتِ.
Translation: The offerings due for ihsar or ritual violations are not garlanded.

The chapter ends by distinguishing garlanding practices according to the legal category of the offering.

Voluntary, tamattu and qiran hady are contrasted with ihsar and violation penalties.

40. Consolidated rules

Animals: camels, cattle, sheep and goats subject to maturity and soundness.
Shares: up to seven in a camel/cow, all partners worshipfully motivated.
Meat: voluntary, tamattu and qiran offerings allow eating; compensatory categories differ.
Time/place: timing varies by offering, while slaughter must be within the Haram.
Loss: voluntary failure does not require a substitute; compulsory failure does.
Garlanding: for voluntary, tamattu and qiran; not for ihsar or violation penalties.

41. Three applied scenarios

Case 1: Seven share a cow; six intend hady but one only wants meat. The worshipful-intention condition fails.
Case 2: A compulsory hady sheep perishes before reaching the Haram. A qualifying replacement remains necessary.
Case 3: An offering is duly slaughtered in the Haram at its valid time, then meat is distributed to poor people in another city. The recipients need not all reside in the Haram.