because Allah commanded it and mentioned it before charity; and because, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, “ordered that a piece be taken from each sacrificial camel. They were then placed in a cooking pot and cooked, and he ate some of its meat and drank some of its broth.” (1) They said: The fact that this entailed taking one hundred pieces from one hundred camels, cooking them in a pot, and eating from them indicates that the command in the noble verse denotes obligation. It is also a form of enjoying Allah’s blessings, Exalted is He, and thus falls under his saying, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him: “The days of Tashriq are days of eating, drinking, and remembrance of Allah, Exalted is He.” (2)

In any case, one should not refrain from eating from one’s sacrificial offering.

Some scholars recommended that one eat from its liver. They explained this by saying that the liver cooks more quickly, since it does not require much cooking. Thus, if he chooses to eat from it and cooks it, he will be among those who hasten to eat from their sacrificial offerings; and hastening to fulfill what has been commanded is better than delaying it.

His statement: “He should eat, give as a gift, and give in charity, dividing it into thirds.” This is the view chosen by the followers of Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, and it is what has been reported from the early generations, may Allah have mercy on them. It was also said that he should eat and give in charity in halves, based on Allah’s saying: “So eat from them and feed the distressed, the poor,” and His saying: “So eat from them and feed the contented poor and the beggar.” Allah, Most High, did not mention giving gifts; gifts serve to foster affection, which may be achieved through this or otherwise. This view is closer to the apparent meaning of