WHAT INTENTION SHOULD BE MADE WHEN PERFORMING THE SACRIFICE?

Intention is one of the most important aspects of worship. Every action begins with intention. Without it, deeds have no meaning. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) taught:

“Actions are judged only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended.” [1]

To properly perform the sacrifice, three conditions must be met: the animal must be healthy, it must be sacrificed during the days of Eid al-Adha, and there must be intention. There is no need to express the intention verbally; it is enough to make it in your heart. The condition of sacrifice is fulfilled if the animal is slaughtered with the intention of offering it as a sacrifice.

It is recommended to say the following intention before slaughtering the animal: “بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ، اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ! O Lord! You have provided me with this sacrifice as sustenance. I offer it for Your sake. Accept this sacrifice from me!” or simply say “بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ، اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ!”.

From Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): “I performed the Eid prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the day of Eid al-Adha, and after finishing it, he brought a ram and sacrificed it, saying: ‘بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ، اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ. O Allah, this is from me and from those of my ummah who have not offered a sacrifice.’” [2]

In any case, intention allows the worshipper to clear their mind of distractions, achieve harmony of body and mind, and perform their worship sincerely.

Here are some examples illustrating the importance of intention in sacrifice:

• <p>If the person slaughtering the animal forgets that it is a sacrifice and slaughters it, the intention made when buying or designating the animal as a sacrifice is taken into account.</p>

• <p>If a poor person buys a sheep with the intention of sacrificing it, he is obliged (wajib) to offer it as a sacrifice. If the purchased animal is stolen or lost, there is no obligation upon him. If he does not slaughter the animal he intended for sacrifice and the time for sacrifice passes, he must give charity, just like wealthy people.</p>

• <p>If the sacrifice is performed by another person without the owner's permission, the sacrifice is still valid, since it is considered that the owner initially bought the animal with the intention of sacrifice [3].</p>

• <p>When between one and seven people jointly slaughter a cow or camel, each must have the intention of sacrifice. If one of them intends only to get meat, the sacrifice of none of the participants is accepted [4].</p>

Hasan Amankul,

Deputy Head of the Department of Sharia and Fatwa

• <p>[1] Narrated by Bukhari.</p>

• <p>[2] Narrated by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi.</p>

• <p>[3] “Al-Mufassal fil-Fiqh al-Hanafi”, p. 217.</p>

• <p>[4] “Fatawa Hindiyya”, 5/351.</p>