The Case of Sacrificial Animal Destroyed Before Offering and Using Its Meat for Food

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever drives an offering animal optionally and it is damaged, he is not obligated for anything in this matter. He slaughters it and takes away the shove off its neck, stains it with blood, applies against its hump and he does not owe any replacement for it. Any offering animal, which is as expiation and penalty because of hunting or a vow and becomes damaged, he must do with it as the case above but he owes its replacement. Everything that enters al-Haram (the sacred area) and becomes damaged, the owner does not owe any replacement for it, regardless of being optional or otherwise.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who buys an animal for offering but it dies or is stolen before slaughtering. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful but it is better to replace it, and if he does not buy, he is not obligated for anything in this matter.’”

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who offers a badanah but it suffers damage or is destroyed. He (the Imam) said, ’If it is a binding obligation, he owes its replacement, otherwise, he is not obligated for anything in this matter.’ I then asked, ‘Can he use it for food?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man whose obligatory offering animal suffers damage or is destroyed; if he can sell it and get help from its sale to buy its replacement. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can sell it, give the proceeds as charity and offer another offering.’”

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘If one finds a lost offering animal, he must make a public announcement. He can do so on the day of al-Nahr (slaughtering the offering, 10th of Dhu al-Hajjah). On the second day and on the third day, then slaughter it on behalf of its owner in the evening of the third day.’ About a man who sends an obligatory offering and it is destroyed on the way before reaching its place and he is not able to replace it, he (the Imam) said, ‘Allah, most Glorious, is the first to accept his excuse, unless he knows that if he asks he is given his wish.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about a man who buys an offering animal for al- Tamattu‘ (advantageous), al-Hajj. He brings it to his family and ties down for security then releases it and it dies, if it is sufficient or he has to do it again. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not sufficient unless he has no power on it.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who buys a ram and it is destroyed (lost). He (the Imam) said, ‘He must buy another one to replace it.’ I then asked, ‘What is the rule if he buys another and finds the first one?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If both are available, he slaughters the first one and sells the other, and if he wants he can slaughter it; but if he has already slaughtered the second he must slaughter the first one also.’”

“This is about a man whose offering becomes lost and another man finds it and slaughters it. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If he has slaughtered it in Mina’ it is sufficient for its owner. If it is slaughtered somewhere other than Mina’, it then is not sufficient for its owner,”’

“A man buys an offering animal then slaughters it. Another man passing by recognizes it and says, ‘It is my badanah that was lost yesterday.’ Two people testify in his favor. About such case, one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘The meat belongs to him. As an offering it is not sufficient for neither of them.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘For this reason there is the Sunnah of ‘al-Tsh‘ar (to mark) or collaring (such as hanging a shove from the neck of the offering animal).’” (Fatwa best explains Hadith 1-8 of this Chapter)