1.  Its definition:

The sacrifices are the sheep, camels or cows that are slaughtered on the day of Al- Adh-Ha 'Eed and the days of At-Tashreeq, approaching Allah, The Most Exalted.

2.     Its legality:

The sacrifice is an obligatory tradition on the family of every Muslim house whose people are able to do it.  This is due to the Saying of Allah, The Most Exalted, (which means): "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]." [Quran 108:2] 

And the saying of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi  wa sallam: “He who slaughtered before the ('Eed) prayer let him repeat (slaughtering the sacrifice)” [Al-Bukhari].

And the saying of Abu Ayyoob Al-Ansaari may Allah be pleased with him: “The man used to sacrifice one sheep on his behalf and on behalf of the family of his house, during the days of the Messenger of Allah ”. (According to many scholars the sacrifice is optional).  

3.       Its excellence:

It is witness that the tradition of the sacrifice is of great excellence, because of the saying of the Messenger of Allah : “The son of Aadam had never done a deed on the Day of Immolation more beloved to Allah than shedding the blood (of a sacrifice).  Sacrifice will come on the Day of Judgement with its horns, nails and hair. Its blood will fall in a place by Allah (The Exalted and Mighty) before it falls on the ground, so make the soul agreeable with it”.  [Ibn Maajah]

And his saying -when it was said to him: “what are the sacrifices?”- “It is the tradition of your father Ibraaheem.”  They said: “Then the wool?” He said: “In every hair of the wool there is a virtue.”   [Ahmad]

4- Its wisdom: 

A- The intimacy of Allah with it. Almighty Allah Says (what means): "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]." [Quran 108:2]  And (what means): “Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims." [Quran 6: 162-163] 

The sacrifice is the slaughtering in intimacy and out of obedience to Him, The Most Exalted.  

B-      The reviving of the tradition of one of the Monotheists, Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, to whom Allah revealed to slaughter his son Ismaa'eel.  Then Allah ransomed him with a ram, so he slaughtered it instead of him.  Allah Almighty Says (what means):  “And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice”. [Quran 37:107]

C-   Feeding one’s family and relatives on the day of 'Eed, and spreading mercy among the poor and the wretched.  

  D-   Gratitude to Allah, The Exalted, for subjecting the livestock to us.    

        He, The Exalted Says (what means):

“And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]; and when they are [lifeless] on their sides, then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may be grateful. Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good."  [Quran 22: 36-37] 

5- Its rulings:  

1- Its age:

The sacrifice of the sheep should not be other than a ewe which has completed a year or so. A goat should have completed one year and entered in the second year. A camel should have completed four years and entered in the fifth. A cow should have completed two years and entered in the third year.  As to the Prophet’s saying: “Do not slaughter but an old (sacrifice); if it is difficult to find it, then you may slaughter a six month old ewe.” [Muslim] 

2-    Its safety:

It is not sufficient to sacrifice but the healthy (the devoid of defects). The one-eyed, the lame or that the horn of which is broken in its origin is not sufficient.  Neither the sick nor the thin that has no flesh are sufficient either. This is based on the saying of the Prophet : “The sacrifice of these four is not permissible: the one-eyed whose defect is obvious, the sick whose sickness is clear, the lame whose limping is apparent and the weak that has no flesh”. [An-Nasaa'i and others]

3-   The best of it:

The best of the sacrifices is a white, horned ram which has blackness mixing around its eyes and legs.  That is the description that the Messenger of Allah liked most for his sacrifice.  'Aa`ishah, may Allah be pleased with her said: “The Prophet had sacrificed a horned ram, trampling in blackness, walking in blackness, and looking in blackness”. [Abu Daawood]

4-       The time of its slaughtering:

The time of slaughtering the sacrifices is in the morning of the 'Eed day after the 'Eed prayer.  It is not legal to do it before 'Eed prayer.  The Prophet said: “That who slaughters before the prayer, then he is slaughtering for himself, and that who slaughters after the prayer then his sacrifice is complete, and has attained the tradition of the Muslims”.  [Muslim]

It is permissible to delay it to the second day or the third day, according to the Hadeeth (narration): “…All the days of At-Tashreeq are days of slaughtering.”  [Ibn Hibbaan]

5-       What is desirable at the slaughtering:

It is preferable to turn the sacrifice towards the Qiblah (the direction of the Ka'bah) and to recite the verse (which means): “Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah." [Quran 6:79]

And the verses (which mean): "Say, 'Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims.'" [Quran 6:162-163]

When one commences slaughtering, he has to say:  “In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, Our Lord, it is from You and to You”.

6-   The validity of entrustment in it: It is desirable for the Muslim to slaughter his sacrifice himself, but it is permissible to entrust any one on his behalf.  There is no dispute in this among scholars.

7-    The desirable distribution: It is desirable that the sacrifice be divided into thirds: His family eat one third, and they give in charity one third, and they give the remaining one third to their friends.  This is based on the Hadeeth: “Eat and save, and give in charity”.  [Maalik]

It is permissible to give it all in charity, as it is permissible to save a part of it.

8- The wage for its butcher from other than it:

The butcher should not be given the wage for his work from the sacrifice.  This is based on saying of 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him:  “The Messenger of Allah had ordered me to stand at his camels and to give in charity its meat and skin and saddles, and not to give the butcher anything of it.  And he said: “We give him from what we have”. [Ahmad]

9-   Is the sheep sufficient for the household?

The one sheep is sufficient for the household as a whole, even though they are many.  According to Abu Ayyoob, may Allah be pleased with him: “The man during the days of the Messenger of Allah used to sacrifice a sheep on his behalf and on behalf of his household.”  [Ibn Maajah]

10-    What one should avoid until he fulfils his sacrifice:

It is enormously detested for him who wanted to sacrifice to cut his hair or any of his nails if the crescent of Thul-Hijjah begins, until he sacrifices.  According to the Noble Prophet : “If you see the crescent of Thul-Hijjah and any one of you wants to sacrifice, let him hold from cutting his hair and his nails until he sacrifices”.  [Maalik]

11-    The sacrifice of the Messenger on behalf of all the Muslim nation:

From: The Methodology of the Muslim
By: Abu Bakr Al-Jazairi