35/2. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1965b — The Age of a Qurbani Animal
The age of sacrificial animals
Hadith About Qurbani Animal Age and Lamb Sacrifice
Sahih Muslim : 1965b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1965b
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ الدَّسْتَوَائِيِّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ بَعْجَةَ الْجُهَنِيِّ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، قَالَ قَسَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِينَا ضَحَايَا فَأَصَابَنِي جَذَعٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ أَصَابَنِي جَذَعٌ . فَقَالَ " ضَحِّ بِهِ " .
Amir al-Juhani Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) distributed sacrificial animals (amongst us for sacrificing them on 'Id al-Adha). So we sacrificed them. There fell to my lot a lamb of less than one year I said: Allah's Messenger, there has fallen to my lot a lamb (Jadha'a), whereupon he said: Sacrifice that.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1965bIn-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 22USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 22, Hadith 4839
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1965b
This Hadith about the age of a Qurbani animal gives a simple picture from Eid al-Adha. Uqba ibn Amir al-Juhani reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم distributed sacrificial animals among them. They then offered the sacrifices. A lamb of less than one year fell to his share, so he informed the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said that a Jadha’a had come to him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, “Sacrifice that.” The report shows the Companion asking before acting when the animal’s age was in question. It also shows that the answer in this case was tied to that specific lamb mentioned in the Hadith. For readers searching for hadith about lamb sacrifice, the key lesson is to seek guidance and follow the Prophetic instruction given in the text.
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.
