Sunan Abi Dawud

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delivered a sermon to us on the day of sacrifice after the prayer. He said: If anyone prays like our prayer, and sacrifices like our sacrifice, his sacrifice is all right. If anyone sacrifices before the prayer (for 'Id), that is goat meant for flesh. Abu Burdah b. Niyar stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, I swear by Allah, I sacrificed before I went for prayer. I thought it was the day of eating and drinking; so I made haste, and ate myself, and supplied flesh to my family and neighbors. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: That is a goat meant for eating flesh. He said: I have a kid (of less than a year) which is better than two goats meant for flesh. Will it be valid from me ? He said: Yes, but it will not be valid for anyone after you.

A maternal uncle of mine called AbuBurdah sacrificed before the prayer (for 'Id). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Your goat is meant for flesh. He said: Messenger of Allah, I have a domestic kid with me. He said: Sacrifice it, but it is not valid for any man other than you.

I asked al-Bara' ibn Azib: What should be avoided in sacrificial animals? He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood among us, and my fingers are smaller than his fingers, and my fingertips are smaller than his fingertips. He said (pointing with his fingers): Four (types of animals) should be avoided in sacrifice: A One-eyed animal which has obviously lost the sight of one eye, a sick animal which is obviously sick, a lame animal which obviously limps and an animal with a broken leg with no marrow. I also detest an animal which has defective teeth. He said: Leave what you detest, but do not make it illegal for anyone. Abu Dawud said: (By a lean animal mean) and animal which has no marrow.

I came to Utbah ibn AbdusSulami and said: AbulWalid, I went out seeking sacrificial animals. I did not find anything which attracted me except an animal whose teeth have fallen. So I abominated it. What do you say (about it)? He said: Why did you not bring it to me? He said: Glory be to Allah: Is if lawful for you and not lawful for me? He said: Yes, you doubt and I do not doubt. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has forbidden an animal whose ear has been uprooted so much so that its hole appears (outwardly), and an animal whose horn has broken from the root, and an animal which has totally lost the sight of its eye, and an animal which is so thin and weak that it cannot go with the herd, and an animal with a broken leg.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) enjoined upon us to pay great attention to the eye and both ears, and not to sacrifice a one-eyed animal, and an animal with a slit which leaves something hanging at the front or back of the ear, or with a lengthwise slit with a perforation in the ear. I asked AbuIshaq: Did he mention an animal with broken horns and uprooted ears? He said: No. I said: 'What is the Muqabalah ?' He replied: 'It has been cut from the back of its ear.' I said: 'What about the Sharqa'? He replied: 'The ear has been split.' I said: 'What about the Kharqa'? He replied: 'A hole is made (in its ears) as a distinguishing mark.'"

The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited to sacrifice an animal with a slit ear and broken horn. Abu Dawud said: The narrator Jurayy (b. Kulaib) is Sadusi, and belongs to Basrah. No one narrated traditions from him except Qatadah.

I asked Sa'id b. al-Musayyab: What is meant by animal with a slit ear and broken horn ? He replied: Half and more than half.

We performed tamattu' during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), sacrificed a cow for seven and a camel for seven people. We shared them.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A cow serves for seven, and a camel serves for seven.

We sacrificed along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at al-Hudaybiyyah a camel for seven and a cow for seven people.

I witnessed sacrificing along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at the place of prayer. When he finished his sermon, he descended from his pulpit, and a ram was brought to him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slaughtered it with his hand, and said: In the name of Allah, Allah, is Most Great. This is from me and from those who did not sacrifice from my community.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to slaughter his sacrificial animal at the place of prayer. Ibn 'Umar used to do so.

Some people of desert came at the time of sacrifice in the time of Apostle of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Store up for three days and give the rest as sadaqah (alms). After than the people said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Messenger of Allah, the people used to benefit from their sacrifices, take and dissolve fat from them, and make water-bags (from their skins). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: What is that ? or whatever he said: They said: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), you have prohibited to preserve the meat of sacrifice after three days. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I prohibited you due to a body of people who came to you. Now eat, give it as sadaqah (alms), and store up.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: We forbade you to eat their meat for more than three days in order that you might have abundance; now Allah has produced abundance, so you may eat, store up and seek reward. Beware, these days are days of eating, drinking and remembrance of Allah, Most High.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sacrificed during a journey and then said: Thawban, mend the meat of this goat. I then kept on supplying its meat until we reached Medina.

There are two characteristics that I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Allah has decreed that everything should be done in a good way, so when you kill use a good method. The version of the narrators other than Muslim says: "So kill in a good manner." And when you slaughter, you should use a good method, for one of you should sharpen his knife, and give the animal as little pain as possible.

I entered upon al-Hakam b. Ayyub along with Anas. He saw some youths or boys who had set up a hen and shooting at it. Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade to kill an animal in confinement.

The verse: "So eat of (meats) on which Allah's name hath been pronounced" and the verse: "Eat not of (meats) on which Allah's name hath not been pronounced" were abrogated, meaning an exception was made therein by the verse: "The food of the people of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them."

explaining the verse "But the evil ones ever inspire their friend to contend with you" They used to say: Do not eat which Allah killed, but eat which you slaughtered. So Allah revealed the verse: "Eat not of (meats) on which Allah's name hath not been pronounced"...to the end of the verse.

The Jews came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: We eat which we kill but we do not eat which Allah kills? So Allah revealed: "Eat not of (meats) on which Allah's name hath not been pronounced." to the end of the verse.