Question 528: How should the meat of the Eid al-Adha sacrifice be distributed and consumed?

166 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: The proper use of sacrificial meat is described in the following narrations:

1 معاوية بن عَمَّار عَن أَبِي عبداللَّه قال: إِذَا ذَبَحْتَ أَوْ نَحَرْتَ فَكُلْ وَ أَطْعِمْ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ فَكُلُوا مِنْها و أَطْعِمُوا الْقانِعَ وَ الْمُعْتَرَّ فَقَالَ الْقَانِعُ الَّذي يَقْنَعُ بِمَا أَعْطَيْتَهُ و الْمُعْتَرُّ الَّذِي يَعْتَرِيكَ وَ السَّائِلُ الَّذِي يَسْأَلُكَ فِي يَدَيْهِ و الْبَائِسُ الْفَقِير

📚 Al-Tahdhib, vol.5, p.223

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: When you have slaughtered the sacrifice, eat from it and feed others, as Allah says: 'Then eat of it and feed the content and the beggar' (Quran 22:36).

He explained: 'Content' is the one satisfied with what you give, 'Exposed' is the one who comes into your vicinity, and 'Beggar' is the one who asks from you.

2 سَيْف التَّمَّار قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُوعَبْداللَّه إِنَّ سَعدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْمَلِك قَدِمَ حَاجّاً فَلَقِيَ أَبِي- فَقَالَ إِنِّي سُقْتُ هَدْياً فَكَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي أَطْعِمْ أَهْلَكَ ثُلُثاً وَ أَطْعِمِ الْقَانِعَ وَ الْمُعْتَرَّ ثُلُثاً وَ أَطْعِمِ الْمَسَاكِينَ ثُلُثاً فَقُلْتُ الْمَسَاكِينُ هُمُ السُّؤَّالُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَ قَالَ الْقَانِعُ الَّذِي يَقْنَعُ بِمَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْبَضْعَةِ فَمَا فَوْقَهَا وَ الْمُعْتَرُّ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ هُوَ أَغْنَى مِنَ الْقَانِعِ يَعْتَرِيكَ فَلَا يَسْأَلُكَ

📚 Al-Tahdhib, vol.5, p.223

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Saad ibn Abdul Malik came to Hajj and asked my father about performing a sacrifice. He said: Feed one third to your family, one third to the content and exposed (those nearby), and one third to the needy.

He clarified: The needy are indeed those who ask (beggars). The 'content' accepts whatever portion you send them, while the 'exposed' is richer than the content, comes to you, but does not ask.

📚 'Ilal al-Shara'i, p.438

3 عَنْ ابي جميله قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه عَنْ لحم الْأَضَاحِيِّ فَقَالَ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ ابنه محمد يَتَصَدَّقَانِ بِثُلُثٍ عَلَى جِيرَانِهِمْا وَ بِثُلُثٍ عَلَى الْمَسَاكِينِ وَ ثُلُثٍ يُمْسِكَانِهِ لِأَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ

Abi Jameela said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about sacrificial meat; he said: Imam Sajad and his son Imam Baqir would give one third to neighbors as charity, one third to the needy as charity, and keep one third for the family.

📚 Al-Faqih, vol.1, p.521

4 خَطَبَ عَلِيٌّ فِي الْأَضْحَى فَقَالَ وَ ذَكَرَ خُطْبَةً مِنْهَا وَ إِذَا ضَحَّيْتُمْ فَكُلُوا وَ أَطْعِمُوا وَ أَهْدُوا وَ احْمَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَكُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ.

Ali (peace be upon him) in the Eid al-Adha sermon said: When you perform the sacrifice, eat from it, give as gifts, and praise Allah for what He has provided from lawful animals.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.4, p.488

5 عن شُعَيْب الْعَقَرْقُوفِي قال: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْداللَّه سُقْتُ فِي الْعُمْرَةِ بَدَنَةً فَأَيْنَ أَنْحَرُهَا قَالَ بِمَكَّة قُلْتُ أَيَّ شَيْ ءٍ أُعْطِي مِنْهَا قَالَ كُلْ ثُلُثاً وَ أَهْدِ ثُلُثاً و تَصَدَّقْ بِثُلُثٍ

Shuaib said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a camel I sacrificed during Umrah. He said: In Mecca, eat one third yourself, give one third as gifts, and one third as charity.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.4, p.46

6 السكوني عَن أَبِي عَبْداللَّه فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَطْعِمُوا الْبائِسَ الْفَقِير قَالَ هُوَ الزَّمِنُ الَّذِي لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ لِزَمَانَتِهِ

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding Allah's words 'and feed the poor and needy' (Quran 22:28) said: This refers to the person who is confined to his home and cannot go out due to his circumstances.

📚 Thawab al-A'mal, p.84

7 إِسماعيل بن أَبِي زِيَاد عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّه... إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الْأَضْحَى لِيُشْبَعَ مَسَاكِينُكُمْ مِنَ اللَّحْم فَأَطْعِمُوهُمْ

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: Eid al-Adha is appointed so that the poor among you are satisfied with meat; therefore, feed them!

✅For further guidance, see: https://feghh14.com/en/76