The Ruling on Sacrificing One Goat per Family: A Cross-Madhhab Analysis

Discussion on the ruling of sacrificing one goat per family has once again captured public attention. Differing views between common practice in Indonesia and explanations from certain scholars have highlighted the need for a deeper understanding based on classical fiqh literature and opinions from scholars across different schools of thought.

How is this explained? Here’s the breakdown by Ustaz Ajir Ubaidillah on his YouTube channel.

In the book Al-Majmu’ Syarah Al-Muhadzzab, Imam Nawawi explains that the ruling on udhiyah (sacrifice) is a sunnah kifayah for a family. This means that if one member of the family performs the sacrifice, the obligation for the rest of the family is fulfilled.

However, there are technical nuances to consider:

Slaughtering more animals naturally provides greater social benefit. Yet, in cases of economic constraints, the permissibility of one goat per family serves as a solution that reflects the broad mercy of Islamic teachings.