Q: Sharing Sacrificial Animals
Q: Can my friends and I share in sacrificing an animal for Eid?
A: In the context of blessings and rewards, It is permissible to share a sacrificial animal if it is a camel or a cow, including buffalo. One cow or camel can be shared by seven people. This is based on a narration by Jabir, who said: “We sacrificed a camel at Hudaybiyyah with the Prophet ﷺ, with seven people sharing it, and a cow, with seven people sharing it.” [Reported by Ibn Majah].
However, for sheep or goats, they are not to be shared. One sheep or goat suffices for one person and their household, no matter how many people are in the household. This is in terms of sharing the reward between them. Ata ibn Yasar, said:
“I asked Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: How were the sacrifices during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: ‘A man would sacrifice a sheep for himself and his household, and they would eat from it and give some to others, until people began to boast, and it became as you see.’” [Reported by al-Tirmidhi]
Allah knows best
Suhaib