35/2. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1965a — The Age of a Qurbani Animal
The age of sacrificial animals
Hadith About Qurbani Animal Age and Lamb Sacrifice
Sahih Muslim : 1965a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1965a
وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْخَيْرِ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَعْطَاهُ غَنَمًا يَقْسِمُهَا عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ ضَحَايَا فَبَقِيَ عَتُودٌ فَذَكَرَهُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " ضَحِّ بِهِ أَنْتَ " . قَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ عَلَى صَحَابَتِهِ .
'Uqbah bin 'Amir Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave the gifts of goats to be distributed amongst his Companions. They sacrificed them, but a lamb of one year of age was left. (Someone) made a mention of that to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), whereupon he said: You sacrifice it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1965aIn-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 21USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 22, Hadith 4838
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1965a
This Hadith about the age of a Qurbani animal focuses on a direct instruction from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Uqba ibn Amir reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم gave goats to be shared among his Companions as sacrificial animals. They sacrificed them, and one lamb of one year of age remained. When this was mentioned to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, he said, “You sacrifice it.” The wording is short, but the message is easy to follow. The Companions did not decide the matter on their own when a specific animal remained. They referred it back to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and acted on his answer. This narration is often searched as a hadith about lamb sacrifice, Qurbani animal age, and Eid al-Adha sacrifice rules.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ask for guidance when a worship detail is unclear.
- Follow the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم answer rather than personal guessing.
- Sacrificial animals were treated as a matter of worship, not habit.
- The wording supports care in handling Eid sacrifice matters.
