would be inclined toward such practices. Rajab might then become like Dhu al-Hijjah, the month of sacrifice: people would increasingly engage in it, and it would remain an outward rite and ritual symbol of the pilgrimage. There is no doubt that this is prohibited.

What appears more correct to me is that there is nothing wrong with the far‘ah, because the sunnah concerning it has been reported. As for the ‘atīrah, the least that can be said of it is that it is disliked, because the Prophet ﷺ negated it, saying: “There is no far‘ah and no ‘atīrah.”

With this, the chapter on sacrificial animals and offerings has come to an end. It becomes clear from this that the legislated blood-sacrifices fall into three categories: the hady offering, the udhiyah sacrifice, and the ‘aqiqah.

As for the wedding feast, concerning which the Prophet ﷺ said to ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf: “Hold a wedding feast, even if only with a sheep.” (1), it is not restricted to livestock. It may be held with livestock or with other foods, such as ordinary food, dates, hays—a mixture of dates, dried curds, and clarified butter—and the like. But if he holds the feast with a sheep, there is nothing wrong with that.

Issue: What some people do when moving into a new home—slaughtering an animal and inviting their neighbours and relatives—is unobjectionable, so long as it is not accompanied by a corrupt belief. In some places, when a person moves into a home, the first thing he does is bring a sheep and slaughter it on the threshold, so that its blood flows over it, claiming that this prevents the jinn from entering the house. This is a corrupt belief with no basis. However, if one slaughters an animal out of joy and celebration, there is nothing wrong with that.