VIRTUES OF ‘QURBANI’ (UDHIYAH)

The virtues of ‘Udhiya’ are established from the following ‘Ahadith’ (Traditions).

Hazrat Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah sacrificed with his own hands, two white rams with black markings. He took the name of Allah and recited ‘Takbir’. Hazrat Anas states that he saw him putting his foot upon their buttocks and saying: "In the name of Allah. And Allah is the greatest". (Sahih Bukhari ,Sahih Muslim)

Note: We learn from this Hadith that one should try to make sacrifice with his own hands. If the Prophet can sacrifice by his own blessed hands at the age of sixty, why can’t our young generation follow in his footsteps? If one cannot do so, he should at least be present at the time of slaughter.

Hazrat Jaber reported that the Messenger of Allah slaughtered on the day of sacrifice two horned, white and black castrated rams. When he faced them towards the Qibla, he said: "Verily I turn my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, upon the religion of Abraham, being upright, and I am not one of the polytheists. Verily my prayer, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. There is no partner with him and I have been ordered that, and I am one of the Muslims. O Allah, it is Thine and for Thee, from Muhammad and his Ummah: In the name of Allah. Allah is the greatest". He then slaughtered the rams. (Ahmed, Abu Daud, Ibne Majah)

Hazrat Ayesha radiyallahu anha reports that the Apostle of Allah said, "The son of Adam does not perform any actions on the day of sacrifice which is more pleasing to Allah than the shedding of blood. He will come on the day of resurrection with its hair, horns and hooves, and the blood certainly will fall in a place near Allah before it falls on the ground. So, make yourselves purified there with. (Tirmizi, Ibn Majah)

Hazrat Zaid bin Arkam reports that the Companions of Rasulullah asked him: " Ya Rasulullah, what is this sacrifice?" He said: "it is the way of your fore father Ibrahim ." They asked: what (reward) is for us therein?" He replied: "There is a reward for every hair (i.e. the reward for meat and useful parts of the animal’s body will be very lofty in merit, but there will also be a great reward for the parts which are useless and thrown away such as the hair)."

They asked: "For the wool, Ya Rasulullah?" He replied: "There is one reward for every strand of wool." (Ahmed, Ibn Majah)