THE STAY AT ARAFAAT THE STAY AT MUZDALIFAH SACRIFICE OF ANIMAL AT MINA

THE STAY AT ARAFAAT THE STAY AT MUZDALIFAH SACRIFICE OF ANIMAL AT MINA:

This is the fifth obligation in Hajj-ul-Tamatoo and it is necessary to form the intention of doing so to attain nearness to Allah. 'The sacrifice must be made during the day, unless one is afraid to do so in which case it may be made at night. It is obligatory, as a matter of caution, that it be made after throwing the pebbles but if one does so before the throwing of pebbles because he forgot or did not know the rule, it is still valid and does not need to be repeated. It is obligatory that the sacrifice be made at Mina and if it is not possible because of the rush there and Mina is not able to accommodate all the pilgrims the sacrifice may be made at Wadi Muhassar. If, by delaying the sacrifice, it becomes possible for the pilgrim to make the sacrifice in Mina he may delay it upto the thirteenth of Dhil Hijjah.

As a matter of caution, the sacrifice must be made on the day of Idd but if the pilgrim forgets or omits to do so for other cause or ignorance of the rule, then it is obligatory to do so by the l3th of Dhil Hijjah but if the cause continues to subsist, it may be delayed to the end af Dhil Hijjah. As a matter of caution, the sacrifice must not be made at night except by those who are fearful.

Each pilgrim is obliged to make one sacrifice.

It is obligatory that the animal of sacrifice be either a camel, a cow or a goat. It is not permissible to sacrifice a camel unless it has reached the age of five years and has entered the sixth. If it is a cow or a goat it must have completed two years and, as a matter of caution, entered the third and if it is a sheep unless it has completed the seventh month and entered the eighth. As a matter of caution, it must have completed one year and entered the second. If after the sacrifice, the pilgrim learns that the age of the animal was less than the required, the sacrifice is not proper and will have to be made again. It is also necessary that all the parts of the animal be sound; it must not be blind, lame, without ears or with damaged horns, etc. Indeed it is apparent that it should not be castrated (unless another is not found), weak, sick, very old or diseased in both testicles. There is no objection if its ears are injured or perforated although, as a matter of caution, they must be clear of such defects. As a matter of recommended caution, it must not have been born without a tail or horns.

If a pilgrim purchases for sacrifice a sound animal without any deformity and pays its price and later discovers that it has a defect, it will be sufficient as a sacrifice.

If possible, the conditions for sacrifice discussed above should be fulfilled but if a condition cannot be fulfilled, a pilgrim should fulfil as many of them as possible.

If an animal of sacrifice is slaughtered in the belief that it is fat but it transpires that it is weak, it will still be sufiicient and another need not be purchased and slaughtered.

If there is a doubt that an animal is weak but is slaughtered in the name of Allah and it transpires that it is fat and sound, it will be sufficient for the sacrifice. The same rule applies if the pilgrim entertains a doubt after the sacrifice as to whether it was carried out in Mina or elsewhere. However, if the doubt that arises is whether he sacrificed an animal at all, then if it arose after shaving the head or Taqseer, the doubt should be ignored. Otherwise, he needs to return to Mina and effect a sacrifice there.

If a sound animal is purchased for Hajj-ul-Tamatoo but after the purchase it becomes sick or deformed or loses a limb or a defect appears, it is not sufficient to slaughter it for sacrifice. As a matter of caution, the pilgrim should sacrifice it as well and if he sold it he should spend its price in charity.

If after the purchase of an animal for sacrifice it gets lost and not knowing that someone else had sacrificed it on his behalf another is purchased but before the other is slaughtered, the first is found, it is sufficient to slaughter the first and the second remains the property of the pilgrim; he may slaughter it as well if he so wishes. As a matter of recommended caution, he must slaughter the second one as well. If the lost animal is found after the second was slaughtered, as a matter of caution, the first must also be slaughtered.

If a person finds a lost animal belonging to another person, he should look for the owner till the I2th of Dhil Hijjah and if he fails to find him by the afternoon (asr) of the day, he should slaughter the animal on behalf of the owner.

If an animal cannot be found for sacrifice in time and the pilgrim has the cash ready, he should deposit it with a reliable person to purchase and slaughter an animal on his behalf before the end of Dhil Hijjah and at the same time he should keep fasting. If after the elapse of the whole month of Dhil Hijjah, an animal is not found, then one must be slaughtered in the following year.

If an animal cannot be found and the cash is not available, then in lieu of the sacrifice, the pilgrim must observe fast for ten days, on the seventh, eighth and ninth of Dhil Hijah and the remaining seven at his home after return. As a matter of caution, the seven fasts must be observed consecutively. It is permissible to keep the first three fasts from the first of Dhil Hijjah after the completion of the Umrat-ul-Tamat'toe but must be kept consecutively. If he does not retum home but remains in Makkah, he must wait till his companions reach home or for one month before keeping the seven fasts.

If the person on whom there is the obligation to keep the three fasts cannot observe a fast on the seventh of Dhil Hijjah, he should keep the two on the eighth and ninth of the month and the third on his return to Makkah after completing the ceremonies at Mina. If he is unable to fast on the eighth either, he should wait to return from Mina when he should keep the three fasts together. As a matter of caution, on return from Mina, the fasts must be kept without undue delay. If he becomes unable to keep the fasts on return from Mina, he should keep them on his way home or on reaching home but he should not join them with the seven fasts. If he becomes unable to keep the three by the time the moon for the month of Muharram is sighted, he is relieved from the fasts and he must make the sacrifice in the following year.

If it is not possible for a pilgrim to find an animal and the cash for it is not available to him and he observes the three fasts during Hajj but then it becomes possible for him to make the sacrifice, it is obligatory on him to do so as a matter of caution.

If it is not possible for a pilgrim to make the sacrifice on his own but is able to join others in partnership, as a matter of caution, he should do so to make the sacrifice and also keep the fasts as well.

If a person hands to another an animal or its value for the other to purchase an animal and sacrifice it on his behalf and subsequently entertains a doubt as to whether the agent has sacrificed the animal or not, he must resolve that the agent has not done so. However, if the agent is a reliable person and informs him that he has sacrificed the animal, then that would be suffcient.

The conditions for the sacrifice of an animal do not apply if the sacrifice is being made to satisfy a penalty (kaffarah) although, as a matter of caution, they should also be fulfilled.
It is not necessary that the animal, whether for sacrifice or penalty; be slaughtered by the pilgrim personally. It is also permissible to appoint an agent to do so in which case the agent must make the intention on behalf of the owner of the sacrifice and not himself although, as a matter of caution, he must make the intention also. The agent must be a Muslim.