Dear brother, the Udhiyah is one of the religious symbols (Sha’eerah) of Muslims in Eid Al Adha, and its legislation came from the following hadith reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah and narrated by Abu Huraira who said: the prophet PBUH said:
(( Whosoever has the means to pay and didn’t slaughter his sacrifice yet, shall never come near our Musallah (prayer place). ))
Abu Hanifah, May Allah have mercy on his soul, deduced from this Hadith that the Udhiyah is an obligation, as this kind of menace can’t be applied on an act that is not an obligatory one.
Whereas other than Ahnaf said: it is an evidence-based Sunnah, and they have their proofs for it.
Swinging between it being an obligatory and an evidence-based Sunnah, Udhiyah is mandadory once every year by the free, adult, prudent, settled and rich Muslim, and the one, who is travel, is not obliged to slaughter an Udhiyah.
Aishah, May Allah be pleased with her narrated that the prophet PBUH said:
(( No act performed on the Day of Nahr by son of Adam is more beloved to Allah than shedding the blood (slaughtering the Udhiyah). Verily, it comes on the Day of Judgement with its horns, hairs, and nails. Allah gives reward for it before its blood reaches the ground, so be content for sacrificing Udhiyah. ))
[ Mentioned in Islamic Tradition
]
Also, Anas narrated: t
(( he Prophet (peace be upon him) sacrificed two horned rams which were white. He said: and I saw him slaughtering them with his own hands, and I saw him putting his foot on them while reciting the name of Allah and glorifying Him (saying Allahu Akbar). ))
The purpose behind the Udhiyah is that the rich Muslim expresses his gratitude to Allah the Almighty for His different graces, among which is guidance and having remained alive till Eid Al Adha year after year.
Also safety (not having intractable diseases), good health, and sustenance in abundance, not to mention that Udhiyah is atonement from sins that were committed and it is a treat for the family of the person who is slaughtering the Udhiyah and his relatives, friends, and poor neighbors and Muslims.
Being rich is one of the conditions to necessitate Udhiyah, and rich by definition is the one who owns the minimum amount of money upon which Zakah is due. This money should be in excess of his basic needs, and he can do without the money he will be paying for the Udhiayh only during Eid days, or he can do without it for a whole year according to different schools of thought which defined the rich person.
The requirements regarding the sacrificed animal and the time of scarifying:
As for the animal to be slaughtered, it should be intact from all defects which might decrease the weight of meat or causes harm if it was eaten.
Thus, one can’t sacrifice the animal when it is sick, one eyed, lame, skinny, or mangy.
It is recommendable to choose the fat and the best animal for Udhiyah, as the prophet PBUH used to sacrifice a white horned bellwether (male sheep).
The time for slaughtering the Udhiyah is after Eid Al Adha prayers till sun set of the third day of Eid, which means all Tashriq days (11-12-13th of Dhul-Hijjah). But the best time will be on the first day after the Salah of Eid Al Adha till before declination of sun of the same day.
It is properly disapproved to slaughter the animal at night, and the Udhiyah will not be valid unless it was from Al Ne’am, namely, either it is a camel, a cow, sheep or a goat but on one condition: that the sheep should have completed six months of age, and that the goat should complete one year of age according to some scholars.
It is sufficient for the Muslim to slaughter one animal for him and for his family, needless to say that his wife and kids (whom he supports) will get the same reward he gets, and they all share the recompense.
Commendable acts for Udhiyah:
Among the commendable acts for Udhiyah is that the person who sacrifices the animal faces Qiblah (the direction Muslims face during prayer), slaughter by his own hands if he is able to, and to say:
Bismillahi Allahu Akbar (In the Name of Allah, Allah is Greatest) O Allah! (This Sacrifice) is from You and for You, O Allah accept it from me and from my family.
The person who is offering Udhiyah can also assign another person to slaughter the animal on his behalf, but it is recommended in this case that he attend the event, because the prophet PBUH said to Fatimah:
(( Go to your animal and witness it being sacrificed. Your previous sins [lesser sins] will be forgiven with the first drop of blood [you witness]. ))
[ Mentioned in the Islamic tradition ]
It is recommendable that the Udhiyah is divided in three portions, one third is eaten by him and his immediate family, one third is given away to his relatives, friends and neighbors, and one third is donated to the poor Muslims. Allah says:
﴾ Eat thereof, and feed the beggar who does not ask (men), and the beggar who asks (men) ﴿
The position the Ka'bah has in the world in terms of place and Geographic configuration:
Dear brothers, Allah's Haram house is the center of a circle that touches the boundaries of both modern and ancient worlds.
The dry land on earth spreads regularly round Allah’s Sacred House in Mecca. Such fact has been confirmed by the most up-to-date studies carried out by astronomical research centers in one of the Arab countries. The study was carried out by using the computer for measuring distances between Mecca and a number of cities of both modern and ancient worlds.
Computer calculations showed that the furthest points in Africa, Asia, and Europe are all located at a distance of 8,000 km’s from Mecca. It is well known that Europe, Africa and Asia constituted the ancient world.
Cities on the edges of these continents are all 8,000 km’s away from Mecca. This confirms the fact that Mecca was the center of the ancient world.
Dear brothers, as for the edges of the new world, namely North and South Americas, Australia, and Antarctica, they are all 13,000 km’s away from Mecca.
This means that Mecca is also the center of the modern world.
Therefore, according to computerized studies carried out by the above-mentioned astronomical research centers, it is clear that Mecca is the center of both ancient and modern worlds. In this context, Allah, All-Mighty, says,
﴾ Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-'Alamin (the mankind and jinns). In it are manifest signs. ﴿
[ Aal-Imran, 96-97
]
