If the animal is even a few days under the required age, the slaughter becomes regular meat rather than a rewarded sacrifice.
The Rule of Al-Musinnah (The Mature Age)
The foundational proof for age requirements, on the statement of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ,
"Do not slaughter anything but a mature animal (Musinnah), unless it is difficult for you, in which case you should slaughter a young sheep (Jadha'ah)."
Sahih Muslim
Translated Hadith from Arabic-English
Al-Musinnah refers to an animal that has reached maturity, marked by the shedding of its front teeth (Thaniyyah).
Here are the strict minimum age requirements according to major scholars of the Sunnah (such as Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen, Sheikh Bin Baz, and Permanent Committee scholars May Allah have mercy on them all).
• Sheep (Ram/Ewe) (Jadha'ah 6 months of age) (Allowed if Musinnah is hard to find/afford) counts for a man and his household.
• Goat (Thaniyyah/Musinnah) must be 1 full year (entering its 2nd year) counts for a man and his household.
• Cow / Ox (Thaniyyah/Musinnah) must be 2 full years (entering its 3rd year) can be shared by up to 7 households.
• Camel (Thaniyyah/Musinnah) must be
5 full years (entering its 6th year) can be shared by up to 7 households.
Rulings Specific to Eid al-Adha (Udhiyah),
Udhiyah is a highly emphasized Sunnah performed by those who have the financial means. The slaughter must take place after the Eid prayer concludes on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah. Any animal slaughtered before the prayer is considered ordinary meat for eating, not an act of worship. The window remains open until the sun sets on the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah (the last of the days of Tashreeq).
Regarding physical defects is derived directly from an authentic Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, narrated by Al-Baraa ibn Aajib and recorded in the Sunan collections (such as Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i).
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Four types of animals are not permissible for sacrifice, a one eyed animal whose defect is obvious, a sick animal whose sickness is obvious, a lame animal whose limp is obvious, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones."
Translated Hadith from Arabic-English
Based on this text and the scholarly consensus of authorities (such as Sheikh Ibn Baz, Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen may Allah have mercy on them, and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta). Furthermore, any defect that is equal to or worse than these four also invalidates it.
The four major defects explained,
• Obvious Blindness or Eye Defects
(Al-Awraa al-Bayyin Awaruha),
What invalidates it, an animal that is completely blind in one or both eyes, or an animal where the eye has noticeably protruded, sunken or turned entirely white, visibly affecting its sight. What is overlooked a slight cloudiness or film over the eye that does not distinctly impair its ability to graze or see its way.
• Obvious Sickness
(Al-Maridhah al-Bayyin Maradhuha),
What invalidates it, any disease that clearly manifests on the animal’s behavior, appearance or appetite. This includes severe fever, deep open wounds, scabies or mange that covers a significant portion of the body, or infections that prevent it from grazing with the herd. What is overlooked, minor ailments, such as a slight cough or a minor scratch that doesn't impact the animal's overall health or meat quality.
• Obvious Lameness (Al-Arjaa al-Bayyin Dhala’uha),
What invalidates it, a limp so severe that the animal cannot walk normally or keep up with the herd when moving to pasture. If the animal cannot put weight on the limb at all, or lags significantly behind, it is strictly forbidden. What is overlooked, a mild limp where the animal can still walk relatively well, maintain the pace of the herd, and access its food without distress.
• Extreme Emaciation (Al-Kasirah/Al-Ajfa), What invalidates it, an animal that is so incredibly thin, weak, and starved that it has lost the marrow in its bones (the Arabic term implies there is no fat or substance left inside the bones). This meat is considered devoid of nutritional value and unfit for an offering. What is overlooked, an animal that is naturally lean or slender but otherwise healthy, strong, and possesses normal body fat levels.
• Defects of Equivalent or Greater Severity,
If a minor version of a defect invalidates the sacrifice, anything worse than it is automatically rejected. The sacrifice is completely invalid if the animal has any of the following,
• Total Blindness, if losing one eye invalidates it, losing both eyes definitely does.
• Inability to Stand, an animal that is paralyzed, has broken legs, or is entirely unable to walk.
• Cut Limbs, an animal missing a leg or a foot.
• Severe Lethal Trauma, an animal that has been choked, fallen from a height, or attacked by a predator and is on the verge of death before being slaughtered normally.
Defects that are Disliked (Makruh), but do not invalidate the Sacrifice,
There is a distinction between defects that invalidate the act and defects that merely reduce the reward because they diminish the perfection of the offering. The following defects do not ruin the validity of the Udhiyah, but it is highly recommended to avoid them if a healthier option is available,
• Slit or Clipped Ears (Al-Kharqaa’), an animal with a hole, slit, or tear in its ear, or one that has lost a portion of its ear (less than half).
• Broken Horns (Al-A'dhb), an animal whose outer horn is broken or cracked. However, if the horn is broken completely from the root and causes a deep, oozing, or infected wound, it falls under obvious sickness and becomes invalid.
• Missing Teeth, an animal that has lost some teeth due to age, provided it can still eat normally and is not emaciated.
Note: Castration, a castrated animal (Al-Maji) is permissible and not considered a negative defect, in fact, many of the Salaf preferred it, The Prophet ﷺ himself sacrificed two castrated rams.
The ultimate standard regarding the Udhiyah is to offer the best, healthiest and most flawless animal one can afford, out of hope that Allah will accept the offering.
“That is so. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah, indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.”(Surah Al-Hajj, 22:32)
Translated Verse from Arabic to English
Aqeeqah is the sacrifice offered to express gratitude to Allah for the blessing of a newborn child. The exact same rules for animal type, minimum age, and freedom from defects apply to Aqeeqah just as they do to Eid al-Adha. You cannot slaughter a 10 month old goat or a 1 year old cow for an Aqeeqah.
The Sunnah establishes two sheep/goats for a baby boy and one sheep/goat for a baby girl. Both animals for a boy should ideally be similar in size and age. The optimal day to slaughter the Aqeeqah is the 7th day after birth (counting the day of birth as day one). If missed, scholars state it can be done on the 14th or 21st day, or anytime later in life when financial situation allows.
When heading to the livestock market or ordering online through a trusted seller, don't just look at the weight or the price tag. Ask the vendor or provider, Is this goat one year of age going on two? or Has this cow completed two full years going on three? Ensuring the animal meets these age milestones guarantees that your act of worship conforms precisely to the Sunnah.
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد ان لا اله الا انت استغفرك وأتوب اليك